| Title | Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters |
| Abstract | Microplastic Particles (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants widely found in aquatic ecosystems. Although MPs are mostly retained in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a high number of MPs reaches the open waters potentially contributing to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Nowadays, a limited number of studies have focused on the role of MPs as carriers of potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria in WWTPs. Thus, an investigation on the community composition (by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) and the abundance of antibiotic and metal resistance genes (by qPCR) of the biofilm on MPs (the plastisphere) and of planktonic bacteria in treated (pre- and post-disinfection) wastewaters was performed. MPs resulted to be very similar in terms of type, color, size, and chemical composition, before and after the disinfection. The bacterial community on MPs differed from the planktonic community in terms of richness, composition, and structure of the community network. Potentially pathogenic bacteria generally showed higher abundances in treated wastewater than in the biofilm on MPs. Furthermore, among the tested resistance genes, only sul2 (a common resistance gene against sulfonamides) resulted to be more abundant in the plastisphere than in the planktonic bacterial community. Our results suggest that the wastewater plastisphere could promote the spread of pathogenic bacteria and resistance genes in aquatic environment although with a relatively lower contribution than the wastewater planktonic bacterial community. |
| Source | Water research (Oxf.) 201 (117368) |
| Keywords | Antimicrobial resistanceDisinfectionOzonationPlastisphereResistance genesSewage |
| Journal | Water research (Oxf.) |
| Editor | Pergamon Press., New York, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117368 |
| Authors | Silvia Galafassi, Raffaella Sabatino, María Belén Sathicq, Ester M. Eckert, Diego Fontaneto, Giulia Dalla Fontana, Raffaella Mossotti, Gianluca Corno, Pietro Volta, Andrea Di Cesare |
| Text | 454869 2021 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117368 Antimicrobial resistance Disinfection Ozonation Plastisphere Resistance genes Sewage Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters Silvia Galafassi, Raffaella Sabatino, Maria Belen Sathicq, Ester M. Eckert, Diego Fontaneto, Giulia Dalla Fontana, Raffaella Mossotti, Gianluca Corno, Pietro Volta, Andrea Di Cesare CNR Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy CNR Istituto di Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato, Corso G. Pella, 16, 13900, Biella, Italy Microplastic Particles MPs are ubiquitous pollutants widely found in aquatic ecosystems. Although MPs are mostly retained in wastewater treatment plants WWTPs , a high number of MPs reaches the open waters potentially contributing to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Nowadays, a limited number of studies have focused on the role of MPs as carriers of potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria in WWTPs. Thus, an investigation on the community composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and the abundance of antibiotic and metal resistance genes by qPCR of the biofilm on MPs the plastisphere and of planktonic bacteria in treated pre and post disinfection wastewaters was performed. MPs resulted to be very similar in terms of type, color, size, and chemical composition, before and after the disinfection. The bacterial community on MPs differed from the planktonic community in terms of richness, composition, and structure of the community network. Potentially pathogenic bacteria generally showed higher abundances in treated wastewater than in the biofilm on MPs. Furthermore, among the tested resistance genes, only sul2 a common resistance gene against sulfonamides resulted to be more abundant in the plastisphere than in the planktonic bacterial community. Our results suggest that the wastewater plastisphere could promote the spread of pathogenic bacteria and resistance genes in aquatic environment although with a relatively lower contribution than the wastewater planktonic bacterial community. 201 Published version https //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135421005662 Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters 2021_WR_Galafassi et al.pdf Articolo in rivista Pergamon Press. 0043 1354 Water research Oxf. Water research Oxf. Water res. Oxf. Water research. Oxf. SATHICQ MARIA BELEN giulia.dallafontana DALLA FONTANA GIULIA SABATINO RAFFAELLA raffaella.mossotti MOSSOTTI RAFFAELLA gianluca.corno CORNO GIANLUCA pietro.volta VOLTA PIETRO diego.fontaneto FONTANETO DIEGO andrea.dicesare DI CESARE ANDREA estermaria.eckert ECKERT ESTER MARIA silvia.galafassi GALAFASSI SILVIA |
