Antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes in the bottom sediment of a small stream and the potential impact of remobilization

Heß, Stefanie; Berendonk, Thomas U.; Kneis, David

doi:10.1093/femsec/fiy128

Cited by 53 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The present results suggest that the fecal bacterial load, for the most part, was not transferred from the sediment to the water column, either because of habitat preference or poor survival. This suggests that, under lentic conditions, the fecal contamination of the sediment may not significantly contribute to the contamination of the water column in natural wetlands [32]. Moreover, no fluorescent spot was observed near the roots on the inclined side of the planted rhizotrons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Using GFP-Tagged Escherichia coli to Investigate the Persistence of Fecal Bacteria in Vegetated Wetlands: An Experimental Approach

et al. 2020

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The contamination of surface water by pathogenic bacteria of human origin is an important public health issue. Wetlands can be contaminated with fecal bacteria by water originating from different sources, such as wastewater treatment plants and agriculture. Escherichia coli is a commensal of the human gut flora and the major indication of fecal contamination in surface water. Little is known about the association between fecal bacteria and submerged macrophytes and how this may influence the water quality. We questioned whether macrophytes enhance or inhibit the bacterial growth in wetlands. For this purpose, we grew four different species of macrophytes (Mentha aquatica, Baldellia ranunculoides, Sparganium emersum and Elodea canadensis, in mono- or multispecies cultures) in aquatic rhizotrons and inoculated the devices with a fluorescent strain of Escherichia coli (producing a green fluorescent protein) to simulate the fecal contamination of wetlands. Bacterial survival was monitored by measuring the fluorescence for 19 days. We found (i) that contaminated sediments did not release E. coli in the water column in lentic conditions and (ii) that monocultures of E. canadensis, M. aquatica and S. emersum reduced the E. coli concentration in the water column. This suggests that aquatic plant species may be used in constructed wetlands to clear surface freshwater from bacteria of fecal origin.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Using GFP-Tagged Escherichia coli to Investigate the Persistence of Fecal Bacteria in Vegetated Wetlands: An Experimental Approach

et al. 2020

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“…Half of them were isolated from raw sewage of human origin, namely waste tanks of airplanes and airport terminal buildings [20]). The remaining 48 isolates were extracted from the bottom sediment of a mountain stream [18]. For the purpose of E. coli isolation, sewage samples were diluted, plated on mFCagar, and subsequently incubated for 18±2 h at 44˚C.…”

Section: Specification Of Mating Pairsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To capture possible disparities between strains of different origin, we chose a set of recipients (n = 96) consisting of two subsets: Half of the strains were isolated from raw sewage tanks so as to ensure a close link to the human microbiome. The other 50% comprised environmental isolates extracted from river sediments [18]. Adding to the exploration of inter-strain variabilities, we also studied the response of plasmid acquisition to sub-inhibitory levels of antibiotics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High variability of plasmid uptake rates in Escherichia coli isolated from sewage and river sediments

Heß¹,

Hiltunen²,

Berendonk³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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The horizontal transfer of plasmids is a key mechanism behind the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. So far, transfer rate constants were measured for a variety of plasmids, donors and recipients. The employed strains typically had a long history in laboratories. Existing data are, therefore, not necessarily representative for real-world environments. Moreover, information on the inter-strain variability of plasmid transfer rates is scarce. Using a high-throughput approach, we studied the uptake of RP4 by various Escherichia coli recipients using Serratia marcescens as the donor. The recipient strains were isolated from human-borne sewage and river sediments. The rate constants of plasmid transfer generally followed a log-normal distribution with considerable variance. The rate constants for good and poor recipients (95 and 5% quantile) differed by more than three orders of magnitude. Specifically, the inter-strain variability of the rate constant was large in comparison to alterations induced by low-level antibiotic exposure. We did not find evidence for diverging efficiencies of plasmid uptake between E. coli recipients of different origin. On average, strains isolated from river bottom sediments were equally efficient in the acquisition of RP4 as isolates extracted from sewage. We conclude that E. coli strains persisting in the aquatic environment and those of direct human origin share a similar intrinsic potential for the conjugative uptake of certain plasmids. In view of the large inter-strain variability, we propose to work towards probabilistic modeling of the environmental spread of antibiotic resistance.

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“…The increasing presence of micropollutants and microbes, including resistant bacterial strains, in the water cycle, has increasingly been in the focus of scientific, political, and public interest during the last years [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Microbial contamination of water became a particular public concern when drinking water resources could not be used at all or only to a limited extent, such as after contamination with Legionella sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8], or when bathing bans had to be issued after levels of faecal indicator bacteria were exceeded [9]. Recently, worldwide findings of antimicrobial resistance in sewage plant effluents, surface waters, and sediments, against both commonly used antibiotics and last-line antibiotics such as colistin, have caused great concern [7,10]. Chemical contamination of water attracted the attention of the public following reports on trace substance residues in drinking water resources [11][12][13][14] and spectacular effects in aquatic organisms, such as sex or behavioural changes in fish induced by xenohormones or neuroactive substances [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Freshwater ecosystems profit from activated carbon-based wastewater treatment across various levels of biological organisation in a short timeframe

et al. 2019

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Background: Wastewater treatment plants are known as major sources for the release of micropollutants and bacteria into surface waters. To reduce this contaminant and microbial input, new technologies for effluent treatment have become available. The present paper reports the chemical, microbiological, biochemical, and biological effects of upgrading a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with a powdered activated carbon stage in the catchment area of the Schussen River, the largest German tributary of Lake Constance. Data were obtained prior to and after the upgrade between 2011 and 2017. Results: After the upgrading, the release of antibiotic resistant and non-resistant bacteria, micropollutants, and their effect potentials was significantly lower in the effluent. In addition, in the Schussen River downstream of the wastewater treatment plant, reduced concentrations of micropollutants were accompanied by both a significantly improved health of fish and invertebrates, along with a better condition of the macrozoobenthic community. Conclusions: The present study clearly provides evidence for the causality between a WWTP upgrade by powdered activated carbon and ecosystem improvement and demonstrates the promptness of positive ecological changes in response to such action. The outcome of this study urgently advocates an investment in further wastewater treatment as a basis for decreasing the release of micropollutants and both resistant and non-resistant bacteria into receiving water bodies and, as a consequence, to sustainably protect river ecosystem health and drinking water resources for mankind in the future.

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Antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes in the bottom sediment of a small stream and the potential impact of remobilization

Cited by 53 publications

References 51 publications

Using GFP-Tagged Escherichia coli to Investigate the Persistence of Fecal Bacteria in Vegetated Wetlands: An Experimental Approach

Using GFP-Tagged Escherichia coli to Investigate the Persistence of Fecal Bacteria in Vegetated Wetlands: An Experimental Approach

High variability of plasmid uptake rates in Escherichia coli isolated from sewage and river sediments

Freshwater ecosystems profit from activated carbon-based wastewater treatment across various levels of biological organisation in a short timeframe

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