Effects of combined antibiotics on the biomass stability and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in activated sludge used for domestic wastewater treatment

Josefina Burgos; Gloria Gómez; Ana María Leiva; Gladys Vidal

doi:10.29393/ppudec-24ctgv40024

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Josefina Burgos Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental. Concepción, Chile.
Gloria Gómez Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental. Concepción, Chile.
Ana María Leiva Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental. Concepción, Chile.
Gladys Vidal Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental. Concepción, Chile.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29393/ppudec-24ctgv40024

Keywords:

antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, activated sludge biomass, respirometry, kinetic parameters

Resumen

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of combined antibiotics on biomass stability and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in activated sludge(AS) used for domestic wastewater treatment. Two aerobic lab-scale reactors were operated: one for the experimental approach (R1) and the other as a control (R2). In R1, two exposures were conducted with combined antibiotics of amoxicillin (AMX), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and ceftriaxone (CTX) at concentrations of 32, 4, and 2 μg/L, respectively, during exposure 1 (E1), and 64, 8, and 4 μg/L, respectively, during exposure 2 (E2). In these cases, removal efficiencies, oxygen uptake rate (OUR), specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) and ARB occurrences were evaluated. Within the results of this study, a significant effect on the AS biomass in terms of performance and kinetic parameters was observed with values below 10%, 20 mgO2/L·d and 100 mgO2/gVSS·d for organic matter removals, OUR and SOUR, respectively, during E1. However, during E2, AS biomass performances and kinetic parameters improved, with a 50% increase in these values. Moreover, ARB occurrences were only detected during E2, with abundances between 6.6 – 8.2 x102 CFU/mL. These findings suggest that the re-expose of AS biomass to combined antibiotic concentrations induced bacterial adaptation to this selective pressure resulting in the recovery of the heterotrophic activity and improved removal efficiency.

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