Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Activated Sludge Process in the Elimination Both ATB-Resistant and ATB-Susceptible E. coli Strains

Iwona Beata Paśmionka, Karol Bulski, Piotr Herbut, Elżbieta Boligłowa, Frederico Márcio C. Vieira, Gabriela Bonassa, Marina Celant De Prá and Marcelo Bortoli
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Iwona Beata Paśmionka: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Ariculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Karol Bulski: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Ariculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Piotr Herbut: Department of Rural Building, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Elżbieta Boligłowa: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Ariculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Frederico Márcio C. Vieira: Grupo de Estudos em Biometeorologia—GEBIOMET (Biometeorology Study Group), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Gabriela Bonassa: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Marina Celant De Prá: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Marcelo Bortoli: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Water reuse is now becoming a global necessity. However, one of the drawbacks in releasing wastewater into the environment is some persistent pollutants that are not completely removed in wastewater treatment plant. Residual bacteria and antibiotics in the inflowing wastewater can contribute to the antibiotic resistance spread in the aquatic environment. This study determined the effectiveness of activated sludge process for fecal coliform bacteria elimination, and also the Escherichia coli resistance to antimicrobial agents as erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and metronidazole in treated wastewater. The research was carried out using the membrane filtration technique, and the susceptibility of isolates to antimicrobial agents was tested by the disc diffusion method. The concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli differed significantly depending on the seasonal period in which it was carried out. Despite up to 99% reduction in the number of sanitary indicators in biologically treated wastewater, 89% of E. coli isolates resistant to the tested antibiotics was found, while 100% of the isolates were susceptible to metronidazole. Most of the isolates showed resistance to trimethoprim, and the fewest isolates were resistant to ofloxacin, indicating that some strains may react differently to antibiotics.

Keywords: wastewater; wastewater treatment plant; activated sludge; fecal indicators; Escherichia coli; removal performance; antibiotics; antibiotic resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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