Antibiotic resistance and pathogen spreading in a wastewater treatment plant designed for wastewater reuse
Manuela Macrì, Sara Bonetta, Andrea Di Cesare, Raffaella Sabatino, Gianluca Corno, Marta Catozzo, Cristina Pignata, Enrica Mecarelli, Claudio Medana, Elisabetta Carraro, Silvia Bonetta
Abstract
), respectively. The dominant pathogenic bacteria included Arcobacter, Flavobacterium and Aeromonas. Although the abundance of these elements significantly decreased during treatment (influent vs. effluent, p < 0.05), they were still present in the effluent designated for reuse. Additionally, significant correlations were observed between heavy metal concentrations (copper, nickel and selenium) and antibiotic resistance elements (ampicillin-resistant bacteria, tetracycline-resistant bacteria, ARB total abundance and sulII) (p < 0.05). These results underscore the importance of monitoring the role of WWTP in spreading antibiotic resistance, in line with the One Health approach. Additionally, our findings suggest the need of interventions to reduce human health risks associated with the reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes.