Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Risks When Using Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater for Agriculture
The global need for food is posing a serious threat to water security. Treated wastewater can be used as an alternative water supply to mitigate our reliance on nonrenewable waters (defined as water that cannot be replenished within our life span). Howeve
- PDF / 364,184 Bytes
- 21 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 24 Downloads / 149 Views
Contents 1 2 3 4 5
Introduction No Direct Evidence of Increased Antimicrobial Resistance Threats in Singapore No Direct Evidence of Public Health Outbreak Caused by Reclaimed Water Wastewater Treatment Processes Are Important Barriers Potential Impacts of Treated Wastewater Irrigation on the Indigenous Soil Microbial Community 6 Multi-barrier Intervention Strategies for Low-Resource Countries 7 ARGs: Living in the Cloud of Uncertainties 8 More Questions to Be Addressed References
Abstract The global need for food is posing a serious threat to water security. Treated wastewater can be used as an alternative water supply to mitigate our reliance on nonrenewable waters (defined as water that cannot be replenished within our life span). However, concerns related to emerging contaminants such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can impede efforts to push for widespread use of treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation. This chapter aims to provide a better understanding of the potential concerns by first using case studies in two countries that have already practiced water reuse. Second, we collate and analyze data that suggests that wastewater treatment plants able to achieve at least 8-log reduction in microbiological contaminants may suffice as appropriate intervention barriers for ARB dissemination to the environment. This chapter also recognizes that extracellular DNA-carrying ARGs may not be effectively removed even with membrane-based treatment. There is
P.-Y. Hong (*), C. Wang, and D. Mantilla-Calderon King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia e-mail: [email protected] Celia M. Manaia, Erica Donner, Ivone Vaz-Moreira, and Peiying Hong (eds.), Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment: A Worldwide Overview, Hdb Env Chem, DOI 10.1007/698_2020_473, © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P.-Y. Hong et al.
therefore a need to assess whether extracellular DNA may accumulate in agricultural soils due to repeated use of treated wastewater and to determine the concentrations of extracellular DNA needed to significantly increase horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the natural environment. Given the large knowledge gaps that hinder an accurate assessment of the associated risks, it would be prudent to adopt the precautionary principle and to implement appropriate intervention strategies and best management practices that minimize the impacts and concerns arising from the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture. Keywords Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Horizontal gene transfer, Log removal values, Multi-barrier treatment, Membrane bioreactor, Wastewater reuse
1 Introduction Almost 70% of our global freshwater is used to produce food to feed the seven billion people worldwide [1]. The global population is expected to increase to 9.8 billion by 2050 [2], meaning even more freshwater is needed to produce sufficient food to feed us all.
Data Loading...
