title: Inactivation of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Resistance Genes by Ozone: From Laboratory Experiments to Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment.
abstract: Ozone, a strong oxidant and disinfectant, seems ideal to cope with future challenges of water treatment, such as micropollutants, multiresistant bacteria (MRB) and even intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), but information on the latter is scarce. In ozonation experiments we simultaneously determined kinetics and dose-dependent inactivation of Escherichia coli and its plasmid-encoded sulfonamide resistance gene sul1 in different water matrixes. Effects in E. coli were compared to an autochthonous wastewater community. Furthermore, resistance elimination by ozonation and post-treatment were studied in full-scale at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Bacterial inactivation (cultivability, membrane damage) and degradation of sul1 were investigated using plate counts, flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR. In experiments with E. coli and the more ozone tolerant wastewater community disruption of intracellular genes was observed at specific ozone doses feasible for full-scale application, but flocs seemed to interfere with this effect. At the WWTP, regrowth during postozonation treatment partly compensated inactivation of MRB, and intracellular sul1 seemed unaffected by ozonation. Our findings indicate that ozone doses relevant for micropollutant abatement from wastewater do not eliminate intracellular ARG.
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Nadine
authors: N
authors: Czekalski
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Imminger
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Salhi
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Marjan
authors: M
authors: Veljkovic
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Karolin
authors: K
authors: Kleffel
authors: Agroscope, Institute for Food Sciences , CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Drissner
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Frederik
authors: F
authors: Hammes
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Bürgmann
authors: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 133, CH-8600 Duebendorf or Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.|Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich , CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.|School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) , CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Urs
authors: U
authors: von Gunten
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D010126:Ozone; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010126:Ozone; D062065:Wastewater