Assessment of Soil to Mitigate Antibiotics in the Environment Due to Release of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent

Abstract

With low levels of human antibiotics in the environment due to release of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, concern is rising about impacts on human health and antibiotic resistance development. Furthermore, WWTP effluent may be released into waterways used as drinking water sources. The aim of this study was to analyze three antibiotics important to human health (sulfamethoxazole, ofloxacin, and trimethoprim) in soil and groundwater at a long‐term wastewater reuse system that spray irrigates effluent. Soil samples were collected (i) at a site that had not received irrigation for 7 mo (approximate background concentrations), and then at the same site after (ii) one irrigation event and (iii) 10 wk of irrigation. Water samples were collected three times per year to capture seasonal variability. Sulfamethoxazole was typically at the highest concentrations in effluent (22 ± 3.7 μg L−1) with ofloxacin and trimethoprim at 2.2 ± 0.6 and 1.0 ± 0.02 μg L−1, respectively. In the soil, ofloxacin had the highest background concentrations (650 ± 204 ng kg−1), whereas concentrations of sulfamethoxazole were highest after continuous effluent irrigation (730 ± 360 ng kg−1). Trimethoprim was only quantified in soil after 10 wk of effluent irrigation (190 ± 71 ng kg−1). Groundwater concentrations were typically <25 ng L−1 with high concentrations of 660 ± 20 and 67 ± 7.0 ng L−1 for sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin, respectively. Given that antibiotics interacted with the soil profile and groundwater concentrations were frequently about 1000‐fold lower than effluent, soil may be an adequate tertiary treatment for WWTP effluent leading to improved water quality and protection of human health. Core Ideas Antibiotics in the environment may pose ecological and health risks. Soil may be a natural filter due to its physical and chemical nature. Soil may help to prevent antibiotics from contaminating groundwater. Soil could provide a tertiary treatment for wastewater effluent.

Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Isolates from Smallholder Poultry Droppings in the Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria

“…This intervention, though with positive developmental outcomes (food security, livelihoods) [ 27 ], may have unintended public health-related consequences for the environment, animals, and humans [ 11 ]. In addition, agroecological practices (organic manure, livestock biodiversity, scavenging feed resource base) [ 7 , 28 , 29 ], environmental elements (water, soil, wildlife, biocides) [ 30 , 31 , 32 ] as well as hygiene and sanitation levels (human sewage, wastewater, biosecurity) [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] within the SPPS, may act as reservoirs for the dissemination of AMR bacteria to the chickens which may eventually be transferred to humans through the food chain [ 38 ] ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…This intervention, though with positive developmental outcomes (foo livelihoods) [27], may have unintended public health-related consequences fo ronment, animals, and humans [11]. In addition, agroecological practices (o nure, livestock biodiversity, scavenging feed resource base) [7,28,29], environ ments (water, soil, wildlife, biocides) [30][31][32] as well as hygiene and sanitation man sewage, wastewater, biosecurity) [33][34][35][36][37] within the SPPS, may act as re the dissemination of AMR bacteria to the chickens which may eventually be to humans through the food chain [38] (Figure 1). The production performance of improved chicken genetics for dual-pur egg) functions within SPPS in Nigeria (FUNAAB Alpha, Noiler, ShikaBrown, roiler), and in some other African countries (Ethiopia, Tanzania) have been under on-station and on-farm conditions [24,25,39,40].…”

Impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on pharmaceuticals in wastewater treated for beneficial reuse: Two case studies in central Pennsylvania

“…For example, Kibuye et al (2019) found that concentrations of naproxen and acetaminophen were several orders of magnitude lower in receiving groundwater than in Penn State WRF effluent that was spray irrigated onto the Living Filter. At the same site, Franklin et al (2018) found that trimethoprim in effluent degraded quickly through the Living Filter and did not reach groundwater. However, the same study found that ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole did not degrade as readily through the soil profile and that sulfamethoxazole was the most mobile and had the highest concentrations in groundwater compared with the other antibiotics.…”

Soil Chemistry and the One Health Initiative: Introduction to the Special Section

“…This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Fe and Al (oxy)hydroxides to remove As from water. Franklin et al (2018) investigated the fate of antibiotics present in wastewater effluent. Most municipal treatment plants are not able to completely remove pharmaceuticals from the waste stream, leading to low concentration of these compounds in the environment.…”