Prevalence of Multiple Antibiotics Resistant (MAR) Pseudomonas Species in the Final Effluents of Three Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities in South Africa

Emmanuel E. Odjadjare, Etinosa O. Igbinosa, Raphael Mordi, Bright Igere, Clara L. Igeleke and Anthony I. Okoh
Additional contact information
Emmanuel E. Odjadjare: Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Western Delta University, P.M.B. 10, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria
Etinosa O. Igbinosa: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Raphael Mordi: Department of Basic Sciences, Benson Idahosa University, P.M.B. 1100, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Bright Igere: Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Western Delta University, P.M.B. 10, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria
Clara L. Igeleke: Department of Basic Sciences, Benson Idahosa University, P.M.B. 1100, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Anthony I. Okoh: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

IJERPH, 2012, vol. 9, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: The final effluents of three (Alice, Dimbaza, and East London) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were evaluated to determine their physicochemical quality and prevalence of multiple antibiotics resistant (MAR) Pseudomonas species, between August 2007 and July 2008. The annual mean total Pseudomonas count (TPC) was 1.20 × 10 4 (cfu/100 mL), 1.08 × 10 4 (cfu/100 mL), and 2.66 × 10 4 (cfu/100 mL), for the Alice, Dimbaza, and East London WWTPs respectively. The effluents were generally compliant with recommended limits for pH, temperature, TDS, DO, nitrite and nitrate; but fell short of target standards for turbidity, COD, and phosphate. The tested isolates were highly sensitive to gentamicin (100%), ofloxacin (100%), clindamycin (90%), erythromycin (90%) and nitrofurantoin (80%); whereas high resistance was observed against the penicillins (90–100%), rifampin (90%), sulphamethoxazole (90%) and the cephems (70%). MAR index ranged between 0.26 and 0.58. The study demonstrated that MAR Pseudomonas species were quite prevalent in the final effluents of WWTPs in South Africa; and this can lead to serious health risk for communities that depend on the effluent-receiving waters for sundry purposes.

Keywords: Pseudomonas; antibiogram; multiple-antibiotic-resistance; wastewater effluent (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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