| Abstract | The development of new methods and technologies for microbial characterization as well as their increasing availability at more affordable costs, has made evident the limitations of the conventional and routinely applied (typically cultivation based) methods to exhaustively and fully characterize the actual effect of disinfection process in urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs). Such problem is even more relevant and of concern if microbial challenges, such as the occurrence of pathogens as well as the spread of antibiotic resistance, are taken into account. Such threats move scientists to investigate new and more effective disinfection processes from one side and new methods, techniques and approaches to characterize disinfection process efficiency from the other side. In this opinion paper, the limitations of routine detection methods are discussed according to the relevant and updated scientific literature to explain how research oriented methods and technologies (namely, quantitative real-time PCR, flow cytometry, metagenetics and metagenomics) can allow a better evaluation of disinfection processes. After a short introduction to the main disinfection processes, the application of different microbial characterization methods is discussed according to distinct challenges, such as pathogens inactivation or antibiotic resistance dissemination, when wastewater safety is of concern (for example in reuse scenarios). The routine and research oriented techniques can be successfully used in complementary way to evaluate disinfection process efficiency. Recommendations for UWWTPs managers for internal control of disinfection process are proposed. |
| Text | 428906 2020 antibiotic resistancebacterial regrowthdisinfectioncultivation methodsmolecular methodswastewater reuse Impact of disinfection processes on bacterial community in urban wastewater should we rethink microbial assessment methods Andrea Di Cesare1, Gianluca Corno1, Celia M. Manaia2, Luigi Rizzo3 1Molecular Ecology Group, National Research Council of Italy, Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy 2Universida de Catolica Portuguesa, CBQF Centro de Biotecnologia e Quimica Fina Laboratorio Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua de Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169 005 Porto, Portugal 3Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano SA, Italy The development of new methods and technologies for microbial characterization as well as their increasing availability at more affordable costs, has made evident the limitations of the conventional and routinely applied typically cultivation based methods to exhaustively and fully characterize the actual effect of disinfection process in urban wastewater treatment plants UWWTPs . Such problem is even more relevant and of concern if microbial challenges, such as the occurrence of pathogens as well as the spread of antibiotic resistance, are taken into account. Such threats move scientists to investigate new and more effective disinfection processes from one side and new methods, techniques and approaches to characterize disinfection process efficiency from the other side. In this opinion paper, the limitations of routine detection methods are discussed according to the relevant and updated scientific literature to explain how research oriented methods and technologies namely, quantitative real time PCR, flow cytometry, metagenetics and metagenomics can allow a better evaluation of disinfection processes. After a short introduction to the main disinfection processes, the application of different microbial characterization methods is discussed according to distinct challenges, such as pathogens inactivation or antibiotic resistance dissemination, when wastewater safety is of concern for example in reuse scenarios . The routine and research oriented techniques can be successfully used in complementary way to evaluate disinfection process efficiency. Recommendations for UWWTPs managers for internal control of disinfection process are proposed. Published version Articolo in rivista Elsevier B.V. 2213 3437 Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering gianluca.corno CORNO GIANLUCA andrea.dicesare DI CESARE ANDREA |
