Occurrence of Antibiotics and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Landfill Sites in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

The incidence of antimicrobial resistance among microbial communities is a major threat to global health care and security. Landfills, which are reservoirs for many pharmaceuticals, provide a conducive habitat for antimicrobial-resistant microbes and resistant gene transfer and are therefore a major contributor to the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance. Hence, this study determined the levels of three widely used antibiotics, metronidazole, penicillin, and amoxicillin, and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance amongst microbes in soil and leachate samples from active and abandoned landfill sites in Kumasi, Ghana. Soil samples were collected from one active and four abandoned landfills, while leachate specimen was collected only from the active landfill. Sonication and solid-phase extraction (SPE) were used for sample preparation, followed by analysis via an HPLC-PDA method. Isolation and characterization of bacteria were done using standard bacteriological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was determined following the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines. Antibiotics were detected at very high concentrations in the specimen collected from both active and abandoned landfill sites. For leachate samples obtained from Dompoase, penicillin was present at the highest concentration (67.42 ± 5.35 μg/mL, p<0.05) followed by metronidazole (18.25 ± 7.92 μg/mL) and amoxicillin (10.96 ± 6.93 μg/mL). In general, the levels of antibiotics in soil samples were similar at both active and abandoned landfill sites. Nonetheless, as with leachates, penicillin levels were much higher (p<0.05) than levels of amoxicillin and metronidazole within any particular site. When screened against some antibiotics, Enterobacteriaceae and some Bacillus and Listeria species isolated from the soil and leachate samples proved to be resistant. The high levels of antibiotics coupled with the presence of resistant microbes at these landfills sites call for immediate measures to halt the disposal of pharmaceuticals in the environment so as to avert any possible public health setback.

Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Ready-to-Eat Shellfish (Corbiculid heterodont) in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

“…[54] made similar observation. The antibiotic resistance gene which accounts for MRSA's resistance to several classes of antibiotics is found on insertion sites for plasmids and transposons in mecA complex of MRSA [55]. The presence of Multi-drug resistance strains also shows how S. aureus is developing different methods to resist antibiotics effectiveness.…”

Characterization and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteria Isolated from Waste Dumping Site in Ujjain City, India

“…Earlier studies have also shown that Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Enterobacter are important genera isolated from waste dumping grounds; however their frequency varied at different places depending on local conditions. 16,17,18 Figure 1 simplified The presence of bacteria showing resistance to more than one antibiotic in significant numbers poses potential risk to public health and may lead to decrease in efficacy of medical treatment. 10,12 Antibiotic resistant bacteria have been reported from waste dumping ground in various other studies and they have become a global concern.…”

“…20 The practice of not sorting municipal solid waste at source leads to indiscriminate disposal of unused/ expired medicines in municipal solid waste and presence of antibiotics and pharmaceutical drugs at such sites creates selective pressure and helps in developing multidrug resistant bacteria due to mutations. 10,17,21,22 The presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria at such sites may be hazardous to the health of municipality workers, animals and residents of nearby areas. The infections caused by drug resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and increase the cost of medical expenditures.…”

“…The infections caused by drug resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and increase the cost of medical expenditures. 17 Municipal solid waste disposal and its degradation is the basic issue of the current "clean and green" drive of our country. Various applications of microorganisms in management of municipal waste have been examined.…”

Multidrug Resistant Bacteria in Dumpsite Soils Within Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

“…The use of dumpsites for defecation as well as animal sheds can promote the prevalence of antibioticresistant microorganisms. The improper disposal of unused and expired drugs contributes to the development of drug resistant microbial strains within the environment thereby posing more health risks (Borquaye et al, 2019). The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in soil can bring about possible air pollution as dust particles are taken up by air currents into the atmosphere.…”