RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.12.08.519565
DO 10.1101/2022.12.08.519565
A1 David Calderón-Franco
A1 Francesc Corbera-Rubio
A1 Marcos Cuesta-Sanz
A1 Brent Pieterse
A1 David de Ridder
A1 Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht
A1 Doris van Halem
A1 Michele Laureni
A1 David G. Weissbrodt
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/12/08/2022.12.08.519565.abstract
AB Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are designed to remove physical, chemical, and biological contaminants. However, until recently, the role of DWTPs in minimizing the cycling of antibiotic resistance determinants has got limited attention. In particular, the risk of selecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) is largely overlooked in chlorine-free DWTPs where biological processes are applied. Here, we combined high-throughput quantitative PCR and metagenomics to analyze the abundance and dynamics of microbial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) across the treatment trains of two chlorine-free DWTPs involving dune-based and reservoir-based systems. The microbial diversity of the water being treated increased after all biological unit operations, namely rapid and slow sand filtration (SSF), and granular activated carbon filtration. Both DWTPs reduced the concentration of ARGs and MGEs in the water by about 2.5 log gene copies mL-1, despite their relative increase in the disinfection sub-units (SSF in dune-based and UV treatment in reservoir-based DWTPs). The total microbial concentration was also reduced (2.5 log units), and none of the DWTPs were enriched for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of chlorine-free DWTPs in supplying safe drinking water while reducing the concentration of antibiotic resistance determinants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that monitors the presence and dynamics of antibiotic resistance determinants in chlorine-free DWTPs.Competing Interest StatementFrancesc Corbera-Rubio reports financial support was provided by Dunea Duin & Water. Brent Pieterse reports a relationship with Dunea Duin & Water that includes: employment. David de Ridder reports a relationship with Evides NV that includes: employment.