Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight
Abstract Background Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are pivotal reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Selective pressures from antibiotic residues, co-selection by heavy metals, and conducive environments sustain ARGs, fostering the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Microbiome |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00658-2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849762173755064320 |
|---|---|
| author | Absar Talat Yasir Bashir Nadeem Khalil Connor L. Brown Dinesh Gupta Asad Ullah Khan |
| author_facet | Absar Talat Yasir Bashir Nadeem Khalil Connor L. Brown Dinesh Gupta Asad Ullah Khan |
| author_sort | Absar Talat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are pivotal reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Selective pressures from antibiotic residues, co-selection by heavy metals, and conducive environments sustain ARGs, fostering the emergence of ARB. While advancements in WWTP technology have enhanced the removal of inorganic and organic pollutants, assessing ARG and ARB content in treated water remains a gap. This metagenomic study meticulously examines the filtration efficiency of two distinct WWTPs-conventional (WWTPC) and advanced (WWTPA), operating on the same influent characteristics and located at Aligarh, India. Results The dominance of Proteobacteria or Pseudomonadota, characterized the samples from both WWTPs and carried most ARGs. Acinetobacter johnsonii, a prevailing species, exhibited a diminishing trend with wastewater treatment, yet its persistence and association with antibiotic resistance underscore its adaptive resilience. The total ARG count was reduced in effluents, from 58 ARGs, representing 14 distinct classes of antibiotics in the influent to 46 and 21 in the effluents of WWTPC and WWTPA respectively. However, an overall surge in abundance, particularly influenced by genes such as qacL, bla OXA−900, and rsmA was observed. Numerous clinically significant ARGs, including those against aminoglycosides (AAC(6’)-Ib9, APH(3’’)-Ib, APH(6)-Id), macrolides (EreD, mphE, mphF, mphG, mphN, msrE), lincosamide (lnuG), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2), and beta-lactamases (bla NDM−1), persisted across both conventional and advanced treatment processes. The prevalence of mobile genetic elements and virulence factors in the effluents possess a high risk for ARG dissemination. Conclusions Advanced technologies are essential for effective ARG and ARB removal. A multidisciplinary approach focused on investigating the intricate association between ARGs, microbiome dynamics, MGEs, and VFs is required to identify robust indicators for filtration efficacy, contributing to optimized WWTP operations and combating ARG proliferation across sectors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ffe7a79155f45ac99e652cb8d30225e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2524-6372 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ffe7a79155f45ac99e652cb8d30225e2025-08-20T03:05:49ZengBMCEnvironmental Microbiome2524-63722025-03-0120111310.1186/s40793-024-00658-2Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insightAbsar Talat0Yasir Bashir1Nadeem Khalil2Connor L. Brown3Dinesh Gupta4Asad Ullah Khan5Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim UniversityAntimicrobial Resistance Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim UniversityEnvironmental Engineering Section, Department of Civil Engineering, Aligarh Muslim UniversityDepartment of Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia TechTranslational Bioinformatics Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyAntimicrobial Resistance Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim UniversityAbstract Background Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are pivotal reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Selective pressures from antibiotic residues, co-selection by heavy metals, and conducive environments sustain ARGs, fostering the emergence of ARB. While advancements in WWTP technology have enhanced the removal of inorganic and organic pollutants, assessing ARG and ARB content in treated water remains a gap. This metagenomic study meticulously examines the filtration efficiency of two distinct WWTPs-conventional (WWTPC) and advanced (WWTPA), operating on the same influent characteristics and located at Aligarh, India. Results The dominance of Proteobacteria or Pseudomonadota, characterized the samples from both WWTPs and carried most ARGs. Acinetobacter johnsonii, a prevailing species, exhibited a diminishing trend with wastewater treatment, yet its persistence and association with antibiotic resistance underscore its adaptive resilience. The total ARG count was reduced in effluents, from 58 ARGs, representing 14 distinct classes of antibiotics in the influent to 46 and 21 in the effluents of WWTPC and WWTPA respectively. However, an overall surge in abundance, particularly influenced by genes such as qacL, bla OXA−900, and rsmA was observed. Numerous clinically significant ARGs, including those against aminoglycosides (AAC(6’)-Ib9, APH(3’’)-Ib, APH(6)-Id), macrolides (EreD, mphE, mphF, mphG, mphN, msrE), lincosamide (lnuG), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2), and beta-lactamases (bla NDM−1), persisted across both conventional and advanced treatment processes. The prevalence of mobile genetic elements and virulence factors in the effluents possess a high risk for ARG dissemination. Conclusions Advanced technologies are essential for effective ARG and ARB removal. A multidisciplinary approach focused on investigating the intricate association between ARGs, microbiome dynamics, MGEs, and VFs is required to identify robust indicators for filtration efficacy, contributing to optimized WWTP operations and combating ARG proliferation across sectors.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00658-2Antibiotic resistanceMunicipal wastewater treatment plantsAntibiotic resistance genesBacteriaUV disinfection |
| spellingShingle | Absar Talat Yasir Bashir Nadeem Khalil Connor L. Brown Dinesh Gupta Asad Ullah Khan Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight Environmental Microbiome Antibiotic resistance Municipal wastewater treatment plants Antibiotic resistance genes Bacteria UV disinfection |
| title | Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight |
| title_full | Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight |
| title_fullStr | Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight |
| title_short | Antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and UV-enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants: a metagenomic insight |
| title_sort | antimicrobial resistance transmission in the environmental settings through traditional and uv enabled advanced wastewater treatment plants a metagenomic insight |
| topic | Antibiotic resistance Municipal wastewater treatment plants Antibiotic resistance genes Bacteria UV disinfection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00658-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT absartalat antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight AT yasirbashir antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight AT nadeemkhalil antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight AT connorlbrown antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight AT dineshgupta antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight AT asadullahkhan antimicrobialresistancetransmissionintheenvironmentalsettingsthroughtraditionalanduvenabledadvancedwastewatertreatmentplantsametagenomicinsight |