Summary and Perspectives on Current Disinfection Technologies in Reducing Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Their Resistance Genes

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are an emerging contaminant of concern. However, the present sewage treatment plants (STPs) are not designed with treatment units for direct removal of ARB and ARGs. STPs are considered to be hotspots of horizontal gene transfer of ARGs as well as a major source of their emissions in the aquatic environments. In order to mitigate the risk of infection by ARB and ARGs, their reduction in STPs needs to be fully understood. This review focused on disinfection, the tertiary treatment of the sewage treatment process, and discussed the advantages, limitations, and improvements in the process using each disinfection technology, with the aim of identifying treatment strategies and further research directions for future ARB and ARGs in reducing emissions into the environment.