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Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Vol. 70 No. 2, 2019.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2019-70-3212

Faecal indicator bacteria and antibiotic-resistant β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in blackwater: a pilot study

Urška Šunta ; Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Miha Žitnik ; AlgEn, algal technology centre, Ltd, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Noemi Concetta Finocchiaro ; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Tjaša Griessler Bulc ; Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Environmental Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Karmen Godič Torkar ; Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and quantify faecal indicator bacteria in blackwater collected from a source separation unit and determine the amount of E. coli isolates resistant to antimicrobials and their potential to produce extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESβLs) and metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs), which hydrolyse the most important antibiotics used in clinical practice. Most of the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (36.4 %), followed by ticarcillin with clavulanic acid (22.7 %) and tetracycline (18.2 %). ESβL-producing genes blaCTX-M and blaTEM were found in three (13.6 %) and four (18.2 %) E. coli strains, respectively, while MβL genes were found in two (9.1 %). By separating at source, this pilot study clearly shows that gastrointestinal bacteria of healthy people can be an important source of antibiotic resistance released into the environment through wastewaters. One way to prevent that is to treat wastewater with a combination of TiO2, UV light, or ozone, as successful methods to remove resistant bacteria and prevent their spread in the environment.

Keywords

antimicrobial resistance; extended spectrum β-lactamases; metallo-β-lactamases; public health; wastewater treatment

Hrčak ID:

220950

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/220950

Publication date:

11.6.2019.

Article data in other languages: slovenian

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