Antibiotic Resistance in the Drinking Water: Old and New Strategies to Remove Antibiotics, Resistant Bacteria, and Resistance Genes

Abstract

Bacterial resistance is a naturally occurring process. However, bacterial antibiotic resistance has emerged as a major public health problem in recent years. The accumulation of antibiotics in the environment, including in wastewaters and drinking water, has contributed to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Such can be justified by the growing consumption of antibiotics and their inadequate elimination. The conventional water treatments are ineffective in promoting the complete elimination of antibiotics and bacteria, mainly in removing ARGs. Therefore, ARGs can be horizontally transferred to other microorganisms within the aquatic environment, thus promoting the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we discuss the efficiency of conventional water treatment processes in removing agents that can spread/stimulate the development of antibiotic resistance and the promising strategies for water remediation, mainly those based on nanotechnology and microalgae. Despite the potential of some of these approaches, the elimination of ARGs remains a challenge that requires further research. Moreover, the development of new processes must avoid the release of new contaminants for the environment, such as the chemicals resulting from nanomaterials synthesis, and consider the utilization of green and eco-friendly alternatives such as biogenic nanomaterials and microalgae-based technologies.

Enhanced Oxidation of Antibiotics by Ferrate Mediated with Natural Organic Matter: Role of Phenolic Moieties

“…The production and consumption of antibiotics continue to increase worldwide because of their increased uses in human health as well as in medical care and disease prevention in livestock and aquaculture . After their administration, most antibiotics are not completely metabolized, and the undegraded antibiotics are excreted through urine and feces and ultimately enter aquatic environments. , The occurrence of antibiotics in the environment has caused public health concerns because elevated antibiotics in the environment induce antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. − In the past two decades, various physical treatment methods, e.g., activated carbon filtration and membrane technology, and chemical oxidation processes, e.g., chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozonation, Fenton and Fenton-like processes, UV photolysis, and photocatalysis, have been applied to remove antibiotics from water. ,− Physical treatments only concentrate antibiotics without their transformation. Thus, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) may be preferable because they have the potential to break down and even mineralize antibiotics.…”

Antibiotics susceptibility of some Bacillus strains isolated in the ground and rainwater in urbanized area in Cameroon (Central Africa), and potential impact of the season change

“…Intrinsic antibiotic resistance and acquired antibiotic resistance are also known [29] . The acquired resistance mechanisms also include modification of antibiotic targets by genetic mutation or post-translational modification of the target [29][30][31] . Various antibiotic resistance mechanisms and may vary with respect to the considered cells strains and antibiotic.…”

“…It has been indicated that the accumulation of antibiotics in the environment, including wastewaters and drinking water, can contributed to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the dissemination of ARGs. It has been indicated that ARGs can temporary be transferred horizontally to other microorganisms within the atmosphere or aquatic environment, thus promoting the dissemination of antibiotic resistance [29] . For rainwater, the temporal variation of the antibiotic susceptibility of the Bacillus isolated strains could be related to meteorological factors such as wind and lightning.…”

Recent advances in removal of pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater using metal oxides and carbonaceous materials as photocatalysts: a review

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] In addition, the wide application of pharmaceuticals in daily life for the treatment of complex diseases is also the major contributor of emerging contaminants, with potential adverse effects on humans and the aquatic environment. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] The presence of these pharmaceutical pollutants could lead to cancers, severe bleeding, organ damage, birth defects, reproductive disorders, endocrine disorders, and mild to severe toxic effects in human beings in the global population. 14 The toxic effects are also threats to mammals, other organisms, and the ecosystem.…”