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The Effect of Wastewater Treatment on Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp
Author(s) -
Garcia Sarah,
Wade Bradley,
Bauer Carrie,
Craig Carri,
Nakaoka Karen,
Lorowitz William
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143007x183826
Subject(s) - effluent , enterococcus , antibiotics , antibiotic resistance , microbiology and biotechnology , enterococcus faecalis , wastewater , sewage treatment , escherichia coli , biology , multiple drug resistance , veterinary medicine , medicine , environmental engineering , environmental science , biochemistry , gene
The effects of wastewater treatment on the proportion of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp. resistant to specific antibiotics were investigated at two facilities in Davis County, Utah, one of which received hospital waste. Samples were taken from the influent, effluent before disinfection, and secondary anaerobic sludge digester effluent. There was very little difference in antibiotic resistance among E. coli in the inflow waters of the plants but the plant receiving hospital waste had a significantly higher proportion of antibiotic resistant Enterococcus. The effect of wastewater treatment on antibiotic resistance was more pronounced on enterococci than E. coli. Although some increases in antibiotic resistance were observed, the general trend seemed to be a decrease in resistance, especially in the proportion of multidrug resistant Enterococcus sp.