| Abstract | Aquifer recharge presents advantages for integrated water management in the anthropic cycle, namely,
advanced treatment of reclaimed water and additional dilution of pollutants due to mixing with natural
groundwater. Nevertheless, this practice represents a health and environmental hazard because of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and chemical contaminants. To assess the quality of water extracted from recharged aquifers, the groundwater recharge systems in Torreele, Belgium, Sabadell, Spain, and Nardo`, Italy, were investigated for fecal-contamination indicators, bacterial pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes over the period of 1 year. Real-time quantitative PCR assays for Helicobacter pylori, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, human pathogens with long-time survival capacity in water, and for the resistance genes ermB, mecA, blaSHV-5, ampC, tetO, and vanA were adapted or developed for water samples differing in pollutant content. The resistance genes and pathogen concentrations were determined at five or six sampling points for each recharge system. In drinking and irrigation water, none of the pathogens were detected. tetO and ermB were found frequently in reclaimed water from Sabadell and Nardo`. mecA was detected only once in reclaimed water from Sabadell. The three aquifer recharge systems demonstrated different capacities for removal of fecal contaminators and antibiotic resistance genes. Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis in the Torreele plant proved to be very efficient barriers for the elimination of both contaminant types, whereas aquifer passage followed by UV treatment and chlorination at Sabadell and the fractured and permeable aquifer at Nardo` posed only partial barriers for bacterial contaminants. |
| Text | 42302 2009 10.1128/AEM.01649 08 ISI Web of Science WOS 000262084800018 Antibiotic Reistance Genes Aquifer Recharge Water Reuse QUANTITATIVE PCR MONITORING OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES AND BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN THREE EUROPEAN ARTIFICIAL GROUNDWATER RECHARGE SYSTEMS BOCKELMANN U. 1 ; DORRIES H. 1 ; AYUSO GABELLA M.N. 2 ; SALGOT DE MARCAY M. 2 ; TANDOI V. 3 ; LEVANTESI C. 3 ; MASCIOPINTO C. 4 ; VAN HOUTTE E. 5 ; SZEWZYK U. 1 ; WINTGENS T. 6 ; GROHMANN E. 1 1 Department of Environmental Microbiology, Technical University Berlin, Franklinstr. 29, D 10587 Berlin, Germany; 2 Unitat d Edafologia, Facultat de Farma`cia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, s/n, E 08028 Barcelona, Spain; 3 Water Research Institute, CNR, Via Reno 1, 00198 Rome, Italy; 4 Water Research Institute, CNR, Bari, Italy; 5 Intermunicipal Water Company of the Veurne Region, Doornpannestraat 1, B 8670 Koksijde, Belgium; 6 Institut fur Verfahrenstechnik, RWTH Aachen, Turmstr. 46, D 52056 Aachen, Germany Aquifer recharge presents advantages for integrated water management in the anthropic cycle, namely, advanced treatment of reclaimed water and additional dilution of pollutants due to mixing with natural groundwater. Nevertheless, this practice represents a health and environmental hazard because of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and chemical contaminants. To assess the quality of water extracted from recharged aquifers, the groundwater recharge systems in Torreele, Belgium, Sabadell, Spain, and Nardo`, Italy, were investigated for fecal contamination indicators, bacterial pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes over the period of 1 year. Real time quantitative PCR assays for Helicobacter pylori, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, human pathogens with long time survival capacity in water, and for the resistance genes ermB, mecA, blaSHV 5, ampC, tetO, and vanA were adapted or developed for water samples differing in pollutant content. The resistance genes and pathogen concentrations were determined at five or six sampling points for each recharge system. In drinking and irrigation water, none of the pathogens were detected. tetO and ermB were found frequently in reclaimed water from Sabadell and Nardo`. mecA was detected only once in reclaimed water from Sabadell. The three aquifer recharge systems demonstrated different capacities for removal of fecal contaminators and antibiotic resistance genes. Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis in the Torreele plant proved to be very efficient barriers for the elimination of both contaminant types, whereas aquifer passage followed by UV treatment and chlorination at Sabadell and the fractured and permeable aquifer at Nardo` posed only partial barriers for bacterial contaminants. 75 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http //aem.asm.org/content/suppl/2008/12/16/75.1.154.DC1.htm Quantitative PCR Monitoring of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Bacterial Pathogens in Three European Artificial Groundwater Recharge Systems 6_AEM_2009.pdf Articolo in rivista American Society for Microbiology. 0099 2240 Applied and environmental microbiology Print Applied and environmental microbiology Print Appl. environ. microbiol. Print Applied and environmental microbiology. Print caterina.levantesi LEVANTESI CATERINA valter.tandoi TANDOI VALTER costantino.masciopinto MASCIOPINTO COSTANTINO TA.P07.014.005 Risanamento di acque di falda |
