Antibiotic resistance in stream: monitoring, modeling and effluent control by photocatalytic disinfection

2013-2014Since the 1940s, the ever-increasing use of antibiotics for human, veterinary and agricultural purposes, contributes to their continuous release into the environment due to incomplete metabolism or due to disposal of unused antibiotics. The concern for the release of antibiotics into the environment isrelated to the development of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacteria (ARB), which reduce the therapeutic potential against human and animal pathogens. Urban wastewater treatment plant (UWWTP) effluents, hospital discharges, livestock farms represent today the major contamination sources of surface water from antibiotics and ARB. The consequence is that antibiotics, exerting selective pressure, may facilitate the selection of ARB or the acquisition of resistance genes by horizontal transfer. The aim of this work was to investigate the spread of ARB in the environment, particularly in water system, as well as to minimize the related risk through the investigation of effective wastewater disinfection methods. Accordingly, experimental activity was addressed to (i) the monitoring of ARB in river, (ii) modelling ARB fate in river and (iii) minimize ARB release in river through effective wastewater disinfection. [edited by author]XIII n.s