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Rauch W, Schenk H, Rauch N, Harders M, Oberacher H, Insam H, Markt R, Kreuzinger N. Estimating actual SARS-CoV-2 infections from secondary data. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6732. [PMID: 38509181 PMCID: PMC10954653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57238-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Eminent in pandemic management is accurate information on infection dynamics to plan for timely installation of control measures and vaccination campaigns. Despite huge efforts in diagnostic testing of individuals, the underestimation of the actual number of SARS-CoV-2 infections remains significant due to the large number of undocumented cases. In this paper we demonstrate and compare three methods to estimate the dynamics of true infections based on secondary data i.e., (a) test positivity, (b) infection fatality and (c) wastewater monitoring. The concept is tested with Austrian data on a national basis for the period of April 2020 to December 2022. Further, we use the results of prevalence studies from the same period to generate (upper and lower bounds of) credible intervals for true infections for four data points. Model parameters are subsequently estimated by applying Approximate Bayesian Computation-rejection sampling and Genetic Algorithms. The method is then validated for the case study Vienna. We find that all three methods yield fairly similar results for estimating the true number of infections, which supports the idea that all three datasets contain similar baseline information. None of them is considered superior, as their advantages and shortcomings depend on the specific case study at hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Rauch
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Hannes Schenk
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Rauch
- Interactive Graphics and Simulation Group, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Harders
- Interactive Graphics and Simulation Group, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Health Sciences and Social Work, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management, Technical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Schenk H, Heidinger P, Insam H, Kreuzinger N, Markt R, Nägele F, Oberacher H, Scheffknecht C, Steinlechner M, Vogl G, Wagner AO, Rauch W. Prediction of hospitalisations based on wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology. Sci Total Environ 2023; 873:162149. [PMID: 36773921 PMCID: PMC9911153 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is widely applied in Austria since April 2020 to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. With a steadily increasing number of monitored wastewater facilities, 123 plants covering roughly 70 % of the 9 million population were monitored as of August 2022. In this study, the SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations in raw sewage were analysed to infer short-term hospitalisation occupancy. The temporal lead of wastewater-based epidemiological time series over hospitalisation occupancy levels facilitates the construction of forecast models. Data pre-processing techniques are presented, including the approach of comparing multiple decentralised wastewater signals with aggregated and centralised clinical data. Time‑lead quantification was performed using cross-correlation analysis and coefficient of determination optimisation approaches. Multivariate regression models were successfully applied to infer hospitalisation bed occupancy. The results show a predictive potential of viral loads in sewage towards Covid-19 hospitalisation occupancy, with an average lead time towards ICU and non-ICU bed occupancy between 14.8-17.7 days and 8.6-11.6 days, respectively. The presented procedure provides access to the trend and tipping point behaviour of pandemic dynamics and allows the prediction of short-term demand for public health services. The results showed an increase in forecast accuracy with an increase in the number of monitored wastewater treatment plants. Trained models are sensitive to changing variant types and require recalibration of model parameters, likely caused by immunity by vaccination and/or infection. The utilised approach displays a practical and rapidly implementable application of wastewater-based epidemiology to infer hospitalisation occupancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schenk
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Petra Heidinger
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Krenngasse 37, Graz 8010, Austria.
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute of Water Quality and Resource Management at TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13, Vienna 1040, Austria.
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; Department of Health Sciences and Social Work, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, St. Veiter Straße, 47, Klagenfurt 9020, Austria.
| | - Fabiana Nägele
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße, 44, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Christoph Scheffknecht
- Institut für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit des Landes Vorarlberg, Montfortstraße 4, Bregenz 6900, Austria.
| | - Martin Steinlechner
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße, 44, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Gunther Vogl
- Institut f¨ur Lebensmittelsicherheit, Veterinärmedizin und Umwelt, Kirchengasse 43, Klagenfurt 9020, Austria.
| | - Andreas Otto Wagner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Rauch
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
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3
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Markt R, Stillebacher F, Nägele F, Kammerer A, Peer N, Payr M, Scheffknecht C, Dria S, Draxl-Weiskopf S, Mayr M, Rauch W, Kreuzinger N, Rainer L, Bachner F, Zuba M, Ostermann H, Lackner N, Insam H, Wagner AO. Expanding the Pathogen Panel in Wastewater Epidemiology to Influenza and Norovirus. Viruses 2023; 15:263. [PMID: 36851479 PMCID: PMC9966704 DOI: 10.3390/v15020263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the start of the 2019 pandemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a valuable tool for monitoring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. With methods and infrastructure being settled, it is time to expand the potential of this tool to a wider range of pathogens. We used over 500 archived RNA extracts from a WBE program for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance to monitor wastewater from 11 treatment plants for the presence of influenza and norovirus twice a week during the winter season of 2021/2022. Extracts were analyzed via digital PCR for influenza A, influenza B, norovirus GI, and norovirus GII. Resulting viral loads were normalized on the basis of NH4-N. Our results show a good applicability of ammonia-normalization to compare different wastewater treatment plants. Extracts originally prepared for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance contained sufficient genomic material to monitor influenza A, norovirus GI, and GII. Viral loads of influenza A and norovirus GII in wastewater correlated with numbers from infected inpatients. Further, SARS-CoV-2 related non-pharmaceutical interventions affected subsequent changes in viral loads of both pathogens. In conclusion, the expansion of existing WBE surveillance programs to include additional pathogens besides SARS-CoV-2 offers a valuable and cost-efficient possibility to gain public health information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Health Sciences and Social Work, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria
| | | | - Fabiana Nägele
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna Kammerer
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nico Peer
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maria Payr
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Scheffknecht
- Institut für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit des Landes Vorarlberg, 6900 Bregenz, Austria
| | - Silvina Dria
- Institut für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit des Landes Vorarlberg, 6900 Bregenz, Austria
| | | | - Markus Mayr
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Rauch
- Department of Infrastructure, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Rainer
- Austrian National Public Health Institute, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Bachner
- Austrian National Public Health Institute, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Zuba
- Austrian National Public Health Institute, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Nina Lackner
- Department of Health Sciences and Social Work, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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4
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Amman F, Markt R, Endler L, Hupfauf S, Agerer B, Schedl A, Richter L, Zechmeister M, Bicher M, Heiler G, Triska P, Thornton M, Penz T, Senekowitsch M, Laine J, Keszei Z, Klimek P, Nägele F, Mayr M, Daleiden B, Steinlechner M, Niederstätter H, Heidinger P, Rauch W, Scheffknecht C, Vogl G, Weichlinger G, Wagner AO, Slipko K, Masseron A, Radu E, Allerberger F, Popper N, Bock C, Schmid D, Oberacher H, Kreuzinger N, Insam H, Bergthaler A. Viral variant-resolved wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at national scale. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1814-1822. [PMID: 35851376 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01387-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 surveillance by wastewater-based epidemiology is poised to provide a complementary approach to sequencing individual cases. However, robust quantification of variants and de novo detection of emerging variants remains challenging for existing strategies. We deep sequenced 3,413 wastewater samples representing 94 municipal catchments, covering >59% of the population of Austria, from December 2020 to February 2022. Our system of variant quantification in sewage pipeline designed for robustness (termed VaQuERo) enabled us to deduce the spatiotemporal abundance of predefined variants from complex wastewater samples. These results were validated against epidemiological records of >311,000 individual cases. Furthermore, we describe elevated viral genetic diversity during the Delta variant period, provide a framework to predict emerging variants and measure the reproductive advantage of variants of concern by calculating variant-specific reproduction numbers from wastewater. Together, this study demonstrates the power of national-scale WBE to support public health and promises particular value for countries without extensive individual monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Amman
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Endler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Hupfauf
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Benedikt Agerer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Schedl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Richter
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Martin Bicher
- dwh GmbH, Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Heiler
- Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Information Systems Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petr Triska
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew Thornton
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Penz
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Senekowitsch
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Laine
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsofia Keszei
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Klimek
- Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria.,Section for Science of Complex Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabiana Nägele
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Markus Mayr
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Beatrice Daleiden
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Steinlechner
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Harald Niederstätter
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Petra Heidinger
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Rauch
- Department of Infrastructure, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Gunther Vogl
- Institut für Lebensmittelsicherheit, Veterinärmedizin und Umwelt des Landes Kärnten, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria
| | - Günther Weichlinger
- Abteilung 12 - Wasserwirtschaft, Amt der Kärntner Landesregierung, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria
| | | | - Katarzyna Slipko
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amandine Masseron
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Radu
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Ştefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Niki Popper
- dwh GmbH, Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Schmid
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria. .,Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Rauch W, Schenk H, Insam H, Markt R, Kreuzinger N. Data modelling recipes for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater-based epidemiology. Environ Res 2022; 214:113809. [PMID: 35798267 PMCID: PMC9252867 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater based epidemiology is recognized as one of the monitoring pillars, providing essential information for pandemic management. Central in the methodology are data modelling concepts for both communicating the monitoring results but also for analysis of the signal. It is due to the fast development of the field that a range of modelling concepts are used but without a coherent framework. This paper provides for such a framework, focusing on robust and simple concepts readily applicable, rather than applying latest findings from e.g., machine learning. It is demonstrated that data preprocessing, most important normalization by means of biomarkers and equal temporal spacing of the scattered data, is crucial. In terms of the latter, downsampling to a weekly spaced series is sufficient. Also, data smoothing turned out to be essential, not only for communication of the signal dynamics but likewise for regressions, nowcasting and forecasting. Correlation of the signal with epidemic indicators requires multivariate regression as the signal alone cannot explain the dynamics but - for this case study - multiple linear regression proofed to be a suitable tool when the focus is on understanding and interpretation. It was also demonstrated that short term prediction (7 days) is accurate with simple models (exponential smoothing or autoregressive models) but forecast accuracy deteriorates fast for longer periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Rauch
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Hannes Schenk
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Austria
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6
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Slipko K, Reif D, Schaar H, Saracevic E, Klinger A, Wallmann L, Krampe J, Woegerbauer M, Hufnagl P, Kreuzinger N. Advanced wastewater treatment with ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration: Inactivation of antibiotic resistance targets in a long-term pilot study. J Hazard Mater 2022; 438:129396. [PMID: 35785739 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) in an advanced plant combining ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration applied for effluent after conventional activated sludge treatment at a full-scale urban wastewater treatment plant was investigated for over 13 consecutive months. The nitrite compensated specific ozone dose ranged between 0.4 and 0.7 g O3/g DOC with short-time sampling campaigns (0.2-0.9 g O3/g DOC). Samples were analysed with culture-dependent methods for bacterial targets and with qPCR for genes. The log removal values were correlated with a decrease of the matrix UV absorption at 254 nm (ΔUV254) and indicated a range of ΔUV254 that corresponds to a sufficient membrane damage to affect DNA. For trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistant E. coli, sul1, ermB and tetW, this phase was observed at ΔUV254 of ~30 % (~0.5 g O3/g DOC). For ampicillin resistant E. coli and blaTEM-1, it was observed around 35-40 % (~0.7 g O3/g DOC), which can be linked to mechanisms related to oxidative damages in bacteria resistant to bactericidal antibiotics. GAC treatment resulted in a further abatement for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole E. coli, sul1 and tetW, and in increase in absolute and relative abundance of ermB and blaTEM-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Slipko
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
| | - D Reif
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - H Schaar
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - E Saracevic
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - A Klinger
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - L Wallmann
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - J Krampe
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - M Woegerbauer
- Department for Integrative Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - P Hufnagl
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Währingerstrasse 25a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - N Kreuzinger
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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7
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Radu E, Masseron A, Amman F, Schedl A, Agerer B, Endler L, Penz T, Bock C, Bergthaler A, Vierheilig J, Hufnagl P, Korschineck I, Krampe J, Kreuzinger N. Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha lineage and its correlation with quantitative wastewater-based epidemiology data. Water Res 2022; 215:118257. [PMID: 35303559 PMCID: PMC8898540 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) gave rise to an international public health emergency in 3 months after its emergence in Wuhan, China. Typically for an RNA virus, random mutations occur constantly leading to new lineages, incidental with a higher transmissibility. The highly infective alpha lineage, firstly discovered in the UK, led to elevated mortality and morbidity rates as a consequence of Covid-19, worldwide. Wastewater surveillance proved to be a powerful tool for early detection and subsequent monitoring of the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in a defined catchment. Using a combination of sequencing and RT-qPCR approaches, we investigated the total SARS-CoV-2 concentration and the emergence of the alpha lineage in wastewater samples in Vienna, Austria linking it to clinical data. Based on a non-linear regression model and occurrence of signature mutations, we conclude that the alpha variant was present in Vienna sewage samples already in December 2020, even one month before the first clinical case was officially confirmed and reported by the health authorities. This provides evidence that a well-designed wastewater monitoring approach can provide a fast snapshot and may detect the circulating lineages in wastewater weeks before they are detectable in the clinical samples. Furthermore, declining 14 days prevalence data with simultaneously increasing SARS-CoV-2 total concentration in wastewater indicate a different shedding behavior for the alpha variant. Overall, our results support wastewater surveillance to be a suitable approach to spot early circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages based on whole genome sequencing and signature mutations analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Radu
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz, 13/2261, 1040, Vienna, Austria; Institute of Virology Stefan S. Nicolau, Romanian Academy of Science, 285 Mihai Bravu Avenue, 030304, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Amandine Masseron
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz, 13/2261, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Amman
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Schedl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benedikt Agerer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Endler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Penz
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT 25.3, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Vierheilig
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz, 13/2261, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Department for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Währingerstraße 25A, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irina Korschineck
- Ingenetix GmbH, Arsenalstraße 11/Hüttenbrennergasse 5, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz, 13/2261, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz, 13/2261, 1040, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Phan LT, Schaar H, Saracevic E, Krampe J, Kreuzinger N. Effect of ozonation on the biodegradability of urban wastewater treatment plant effluent. Sci Total Environ 2022; 812:152466. [PMID: 34952079 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The present work aimed to study the effect of ozonation on the organic sum parameters linked to enhanced biodegradability. Laboratory experiments were conducted with the effluent of four Austrian urban wastewater treatment plants with low food to microorganism ratios and different matrix characteristics. Biochemical oxygen demand over 5 days (BOD5) was measured before ozonation and after application of different specific ozone doses (Dspec) (0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 g O3/g DOC). Other investigated organic parameters comprised chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), UV absorption at 254 nm (UV254), which are parameters that are applied in routine wastewater analysis. Carbamazepine and benzotriazole were measured as reference micropollutants. The results showed a dose-dependent increase in biological activity after ozonation; this increase was linked to the enhanced biodegradability of substances that are recalcitrant to biodegradation in conventional activated sludge treatment. The highest relative change was determined for BOD5, which already occurred between 0 and 0.4 g O3/g DOC for all samples. Increasing the Dspec to 0.6 and 0.8 g O3/g DOC resulted in a less pronounced increase. DOC was not substantially decreased after ozonation, which was consistent with a low reported degree of mineralization, while partial oxidation led to a quantifiable decrease in COD (7 to 17%). Delta UV254 and the decline in specific UV absorption after ozonation clearly correlated with Dspec. In contrast, for COD and biodegradable DOC (BDOC), a clear dose-response pattern was identified only after exposure to BOD5 measurement. Indications for improved biodegradability were further supported by the rise in the BOD5/COD ratio. The results indicated that subsequent biological processes have a higher degradation potential after ozonation. The further reduction in biodegradable organic carbon emission by the combination of ozonation and biological post treatment represents another step towards sustainable water resource management in addition to micropollutant abatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lam Thanh Phan
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040 Vienna, Austria; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Heidemarie Schaar
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ernis Saracevic
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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9
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Aberi P, Arabzadeh R, Insam H, Markt R, Mayr M, Kreuzinger N, Rauch W. Quest for Optimal Regression Models in SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Based Epidemiology. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:10778. [PMID: 34682523 PMCID: PMC8535556 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is a recognised source of information for pandemic management. In this study, we investigated the correlation between a SARS-CoV-2 signal derived from wastewater sampling and COVID-19 incidence values monitored by means of individual testing programs. The dataset used in the study is composed of timelines (duration approx. five months) of both signals at four wastewater treatment plants across Austria, two of which drain large communities and the other two drain smaller communities. Eight regression models were investigated to predict the viral incidence under varying data inputs and pre-processing methods. It was found that population-based normalisation and smoothing as a pre-processing of the viral load data significantly influence the fitness of the regression models. Moreover, the time latency lag between the wastewater data and the incidence derived from the testing program was found to vary between 2 and 7 days depending on the time period and site. It was found to be necessary to take such a time lag into account by means of multivariate modelling to boost the performance of the regression. Comparing the models, no outstanding one could be identified as all investigated models are revealing a sufficient correlation for the task. The pre-processing of data and a multivariate model formulation is more important than the model structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Aberi
- Department of Infrastructure, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.A.); (R.A.)
| | - Rezgar Arabzadeh
- Department of Infrastructure, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.A.); (R.A.)
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (H.I.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (H.I.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Markus Mayr
- Department of Microbiology, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (H.I.); (R.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technology University Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Wolfgang Rauch
- Department of Infrastructure, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.A.); (R.A.)
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10
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Arabzadeh R, Grünbacher DM, Insam H, Kreuzinger N, Markt R, Rauch W. Data filtering methods for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance. Water Sci Technol 2021; 84:1324-1339. [PMID: 34559069 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In the case of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic management, wastewater-based epidemiology aims to derive information on the infection dynamics by monitoring virus concentrations in the wastewater. However, due to the intrinsic random fluctuations of the viral signal in wastewater caused by several influencing factors that cannot be determined in detail (e.g. dilutions; number of people discharging; variations in virus excretion; water consumption per day; transport and fate processes in sewer system), the subsequent prevalence analysis may result in misleading conclusions. It is thus helpful to apply data filtering techniques to reduce the noise in the signal. In this paper we investigate 13 smoothing algorithms applied to the virus signals monitored in four wastewater treatment plants in Austria. The parameters of the algorithms have been defined by an optimization procedure aiming for performance metrics. The results are further investigated by means of a cluster analysis. While all algorithms are in principle applicable, SPLINE, Generalized Additive Model and Friedman's Super Smoother are recognized as superior methods in this context (with the latter two having a tendency to over-smoothing). A first analysis of the resulting datasets indicates the positive effect of filtering to the correlation of the viral signal to monitored incidence values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rezgar Arabzadeh
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniel Martin Grünbacher
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heribert Insam
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria E-mail:
| | - Rudolf Markt
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Rauch
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Department of Infrastructure, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 13, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Lundy L, Fatta-Kassinos D, Slobodnik J, Karaolia P, Cirka L, Kreuzinger N, Castiglioni S, Bijlsma L, Dulio V, Deviller G, Lai FY, Alygizakis N, Barneo M, Baz-Lomba JA, Béen F, Cíchová M, Conde-Pérez K, Covaci A, Donner E, Ficek A, Hassard F, Hedström A, Hernandez F, Janská V, Jellison K, Hofman J, Hill K, Hong PY, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Kolarević S, Krahulec J, Lambropoulou D, de Llanos R, Mackuľak T, Martinez-García L, Martínez F, Medema G, Micsinai A, Myrmel M, Nasser M, Niederstätter H, Nozal L, Oberacher H, Očenášková V, Ogorzaly L, Papadopoulos D, Peinado B, Pitkänen T, Poza M, Rumbo-Feal S, Sánchez MB, Székely AJ, Soltysova A, Thomaidis NS, Vallejo J, van Nuijs A, Ware V, Viklander M. Making Waves: Collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making. Water Res 2021; 199:117167. [PMID: 34015748 PMCID: PMC8060897 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities. Within this context, the NORMAN SCORE "SARS-CoV-2 in sewage" database provides a platform for rapid, open access data sharing, validated by the uploading of 276 data sets from nine countries to-date. Through offering direct access to underpinning meta-data sets (and describing its use in data interpretation), the NORMAN SCORE database is a resource for the development of recommendations on minimum data requirements for wastewater pathogen surveillance. It is also a tool to engage public health practitioners in discussions on use of the approach, providing an opportunity to build mutual understanding of the demand and supply for data and facilitate the translation of this promising research application into public health practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Lundy
- DRIZZLE Centre of Excellence, Luleå University of Technology, VA-Teknik, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Popi Karaolia
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Lubos Cirka
- Environmental Institute, Okruzna 784/42, 97241, Kos, Slovakia; Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinskeho 9, 81237, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resources Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sara Castiglioni
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Lubertus Bijlsma
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Valeria Dulio
- National Institute for Environment and Industrial Risks, Rue Jacques Taffanel, Parc Technologique ALATA, Verneuil-en-Halatte, 60550, France
| | | | - Foon Yin Lai
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- Environmental Institute, Okruzna 784/42, 97241, Kos, Slovakia; Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Manuela Barneo
- Unidad Predepartamental de Medicina (Facultad de Salud), Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castellón, Spain
| | | | - Frederic Béen
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3430, BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Marianna Cíchová
- Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Kelly Conde-Pérez
- Microbiology Service, University Hospital-Biomedical Research Institute-University of A Coruña, Spain
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute (FII), University of South Australia, Building X, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, 5095, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrej Ficek
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Francis Hassard
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Annelie Hedström
- DRIZZLE Centre of Excellence, Luleå University of Technology, VA-Teknik, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Félix Hernandez
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Veronika Janská
- Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Kristen Jellison
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University, 1 West Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Jan Hofman
- University of Bath, Department of Chemical Engineering, Water Innovation and Research Centre, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Kelly Hill
- Water Research Australia Limited | Level 2, 250 Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga Adelaide SA 5000 | GPO Box 1751, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Stoimir Kolarević
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of Republic of Serbia, Department for Hydroecology and Water Protection, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jan Krahulec
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dimitra Lambropoulou
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece; Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki, GR-57001
| | - Rosa de Llanos
- Unidad Predepartamental de Medicina (Facultad de Salud), Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castellón, Spain
| | - Tomáš Mackuľak
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lorena Martinez-García
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Francisco Martínez
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Gertjan Medema
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3430, BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mette Myrmel
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Unit, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mohammed Nasser
- Microbiology Service, University Hospital-Biomedical Research Institute-University of A Coruña, Spain
| | - Harald Niederstätter
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Leonor Nozal
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Unit, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Věra Očenášková
- T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Branch of Analysis and Assessment of Environmental Components, Podbabská 2582/30, 160 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Leslie Ogorzaly
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Environmental Research & Innovation department, 41 rue du Brill L-4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Dimitrios Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Beatriz Peinado
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Expert Microbiology Unit, Neulaniementie 4, FI-70701, Kuopio, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dept. Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2, FI-00014, Helsingin yliopisto, Finland
| | - Margarita Poza
- Microbiology Service, University Hospital-Biomedical Research Institute-University of A Coruña, Spain
| | - Soraya Rumbo-Feal
- Microbiology Service, University Hospital-Biomedical Research Institute-University of A Coruña, Spain
| | - Maria Blanca Sánchez
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Anna J Székely
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Limnology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrea Soltysova
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Juan Vallejo
- Microbiology Service, University Hospital-Biomedical Research Institute-University of A Coruña, Spain
| | - Alexander van Nuijs
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Vassie Ware
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University, 1 West Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Maria Viklander
- DRIZZLE Centre of Excellence, Luleå University of Technology, VA-Teknik, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
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12
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Radu E, Woegerbauer M, Rab G, Oismüller M, Strauss P, Hufnagl P, Gottsberger RA, Krampe J, Weyermair K, Kreuzinger N. Resilience of agricultural soils to antibiotic resistance genes introduced by agricultural management practices. Sci Total Environ 2021; 756:143699. [PMID: 33307498 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AR) represents a global threat in human and veterinary medicine. In that regard, AR proliferation and dissemination in agricultural soils after manure application raises concerns on the enrichment of endogenous soil bacterial population with allochthonous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Natural resilience of agricultural soils and background concentrations of ARGs play key roles in the mitigation of AR propagation in natural environments. In the present study, we carried out a longitudinal sampling campaign for two crop vegetation periods to monitor spatial and temporal changes in the abundance of seven clinically relevant ARGs (sul1, ermB, vanA, aph(3')-IIa, aph(3')-IIIa, blaTEM-1 and tet(W)) and ribosomal 16S RNA. The absolute and relative abundances of the selected ARGs were quantified in total community DNA extracted from agricultural (manured and non-manured) and forest soils, fresh pig faeces and manure slurry. We observed that ARG concentrations return to background levels after manure-induced exposure within a crop growing season, highlighting the resilience capacity of soil. Naturally occurring high background concentrations of ARGs can be found in forest soil in due distance under low anthropogenic influences. It was observed that pesticide application increases the concentrations of three out of seven ARGs tested (ermB, aph(3')-IIIa and tet(W)). Moreover, we noticed that the absolute abundances of sul1, vanA, ermB and blaTEM-1 resistance genes show an increase by 100- to 10,000- fold, from maturation of fresh pig faeces to manure. Outcomes of our study suggest that agricultural soil environments show a strong capacity to alleviate externally induced disturbances in endogenous ARG concentrations. Naturally occurring high concentrations of ARGs are present also in low human impacted environments represented by the indigenous resistome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Radu
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, University of Technology Vienna, Austria; Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Division of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Department for Integrative Risk Assessment, Vienna, Austria; Institute of Virology Stefan S. Nicolau, Romanian Academy of Science, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Markus Woegerbauer
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Division of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Department for Integrative Risk Assessment, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Rab
- Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, University of Technology Vienna, Austria; Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Petzenkirchen, Austria
| | - Matthias Oismüller
- Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, University of Technology Vienna, Austria; Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Petzenkirchen, Austria
| | - Peter Strauss
- Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Petzenkirchen, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Department for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard A Gottsberger
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Department for Molecular Diagnostic of Plant Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, University of Technology Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Weyermair
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, Division of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Department of Statistics and Analytical Epidemiology, Graz, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, University of Technology Vienna, Austria
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13
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Mišík M, Ferk F, Schaar H, Yamada M, Jaeger W, Knasmueller S, Kreuzinger N. Genotoxic activities of wastewater after ozonation and activated carbon filtration: Different effects in liver-derived cells and bacterial indicators. Water Res 2020; 186:116328. [PMID: 32866931 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of advanced wastewater treatment techniques (combining ozonation with activated carbon filtration) on acute and genotoxic activities of tertiary treated wastewater. Concentrated samples were tested in Salmonella/microsome assays. Furthermore, induction of DNA damage was measured in liver-derived cells (human hepatoma and primary rat hepatocytes) in single cell gel electrophoresis experiments, which are based on the measurement of DNA migration in an electric field. These cell types possess phase I and phase II enzymes, which catalyze the activation/detoxification of mutagens. Acute toxicity was determined with the trypan blue exclusion technique. We found no evidence for mutagenic effects of non-ozonated samples in several bacterial tester strains (TA98, TA100, YG7108, YG7104, YG7112 and YG7113) but clear induction of His+ mutants after O3 treatment in two strains with defective genes encoding for DNA repair, which are highly sensitive towards alkylating agents (YG7108 and YG7104). These effects were reduced after activated carbon filtration. Furthermore, we detected a slight increase of mutagenic activity in strain YG1024 with increased acetyltransferase activity, which is sensitive towards aromatic amines and nitro compounds in untreated water, which was not reduced by O3 treatment. A completely different pattern of mutagenic activity was seen in liver-derived cells; non ozonated samples caused in both cell types pronounced DNA damage, which was reduced (by ca. 25%) after ozonation. Activated carbon treatment did not cause a substantial further reduction of DNA damage. Additional experiments with liver homogenate indicate that the compounds which cause the effects in the human cells are promutagens which require enzymatic activation. None of the waters caused acute toxicity in the liver-derived cells and in the bacterial indicators. Assuming that hepatic mammalian cells reflect the genotoxic properties of the waters in vertebrates (including humans) more adequately as genetically modified bacterial indicators, we conclude that ozonation has beneficial effects in regard to the reduction of genotoxic properties of treated wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Mišík
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine I, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Franziska Ferk
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine I, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Heidemarie Schaar
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, Austria
| | | | - Walter Jaeger
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Diagnostics, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Knasmueller
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine I, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna 1090, Austria.
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/226-1, Austria
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14
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Marano RBM, Fernandes T, Manaia CM, Nunes O, Morrison D, Berendonk TU, Kreuzinger N, Tenson T, Corno G, Fatta-Kassinos D, Merlin C, Topp E, Jurkevitch E, Henn L, Scott A, Heß S, Slipko K, Laht M, Kisand V, Di Cesare A, Karaolia P, Michael SG, Petre AL, Rosal R, Pruden A, Riquelme V, Agüera A, Esteban B, Luczkiewicz A, Kalinowska A, Leonard A, Gaze WH, Adegoke AA, Stenstrom TA, Pollice A, Salerno C, Schwermer CU, Krzeminski P, Guilloteau H, Donner E, Drigo B, Libralato G, Guida M, Bürgmann H, Beck K, Garelick H, Tacão M, Henriques I, Martínez-Alcalá I, Guillén-Navarro JM, Popowska M, Piotrowska M, Quintela-Baluja M, Bunce JT, Polo-López MI, Nahim-Granados S, Pons MN, Milakovic M, Udikovic-Kolic N, Ory J, Ousmane T, Caballero P, Oliver A, Rodriguez-Mozaz S, Balcazar JL, Jäger T, Schwartz T, Yang Y, Zou S, Lee Y, Yoon Y, Herzog B, Mayrhofer H, Prakash O, Nimonkar Y, Heath E, Baraniak A, Abreu-Silva J, Choudhury M, Munoz LP, Krizanovic S, Brunetti G, Maile-Moskowitz A, Brown C, Cytryn E. A global multinational survey of cefotaxime-resistant coliforms in urban wastewater treatment plants. Environ Int 2020; 144:106035. [PMID: 32835921 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization Global Action Plan recommends integrated surveillance programs as crucial strategies for monitoring antibiotic resistance. Although several national surveillance programs are in place for clinical and veterinary settings, no such schemes exist for monitoring antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. In this transnational study, we developed, validated, and tested a low-cost surveillance and easy to implement approach to evaluate antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by targeting cefotaxime-resistant (CTX-R) coliforms as indicators. The rationale for this approach was: i) coliform quantification methods are internationally accepted as indicators of fecal contamination in recreational waters and are therefore routinely applied in analytical labs; ii) CTX-R coliforms are clinically relevant, associated with extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), and are rare in pristine environments. We analyzed 57 WWTPs in 22 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America. CTX-R coliforms were ubiquitous in raw sewage and their relative abundance varied significantly (<0.1% to 38.3%), being positively correlated (p < 0.001) with regional atmospheric temperatures. Although most WWTPs removed large proportions of CTX-R coliforms, loads over 103 colony-forming units per mL were occasionally observed in final effluents. We demonstrate that CTX-R coliform monitoring is a feasible and affordable approach to assess wastewater antibiotic resistance status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto B M Marano
- Department of Agroecology and Plant Health, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon Lezion, Israel
| | - Telma Fernandes
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal
| | - Célia M Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal
| | - Olga Nunes
- LEPABE, Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Donald Morrison
- School Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, EH11 4BN, UK
| | | | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality and Resources Management, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tanel Tenson
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia
| | - Gianluca Corno
- CNR-IRSA Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and Nireas International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre (ON), Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- Department of Agroecology and Plant Health, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Leonie Henn
- School Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Andrew Scott
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre (ON), Canada
| | - Stefanie Heß
- Institute of Hydrobiology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katarzyna Slipko
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality and Resources Management, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mailis Laht
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia; Estonian Environmental Research Centre, Estonia
| | - Veljo Kisand
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- CNR-IRSA Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Popi Karaolia
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and Nireas International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Stella G Michael
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and Nireas International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Alice L Petre
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, E-28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Rosal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, E-28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amy Pruden
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Virginia Riquelme
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ana Agüera
- Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Belen Esteban
- Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Aneta Luczkiewicz
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12 street, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kalinowska
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12 street, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anne Leonard
- University of Exeter Medical School, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - William H Gaze
- University of Exeter Medical School, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Anthony A Adegoke
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban South Africa; Department of Microbiology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
| | - Thor A Stenstrom
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban South Africa
| | | | | | - Carsten U Schwermer
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Pawel Krzeminski
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Barbara Drigo
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Helmut Bürgmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Karin Beck
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Hemda Garelick
- Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK
| | - Marta Tacão
- CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Isabel Henriques
- CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Martínez-Alcalá
- Department of Civil Engineering, Av. de los Jerónimos, 135, 30107 Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jose M Guillén-Navarro
- Department of Civil Engineering, Av. de los Jerónimos, 135, 30107 Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain
| | - Magdalena Popowska
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Piotrowska
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Joshua T Bunce
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Maria I Polo-López
- Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain; Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT, P.O. Box 22, 04200 Tabernas, Almería, Spain
| | - Samira Nahim-Granados
- Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain; Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT, P.O. Box 22, 04200 Tabernas, Almería, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Jérôme Ory
- Laboratoire "Microorganisme: Génome et Environnement", Université Clermont Auvergne, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, F-63170 Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Service d'hygiène hospitalière, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Traore Ousmane
- Laboratoire "Microorganisme: Génome et Environnement", Université Clermont Auvergne, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, F-63170 Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Service d'hygiène hospitalière, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Antoni Oliver
- Laboratori EMATSA, Ctra Valls Km 3, 43130 Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Jose L Balcazar
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Thomas Jäger
- Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schwartz
- Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shichun Zou
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunho Lee
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Younggun Yoon
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Bastian Herzog
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany
| | - Heidrun Mayrhofer
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany
| | - Om Prakash
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science, Pune 411007, India
| | - Yogesh Nimonkar
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science, Pune 411007, India
| | - Ester Heath
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anna Baraniak
- National Medicines Institute, Department of Molecular Microbiology, Chelmska 30/34, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joana Abreu-Silva
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 172, 4200-374 Porto, Portugal
| | - Manika Choudhury
- Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK
| | - Leonardo P Munoz
- Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK
| | | | - Gianluca Brunetti
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | | | - Connor Brown
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon Lezion, Israel.
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15
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Fatta-Kassinos D, Kreuzinger N, Rizzo L. Editorial - "Urban wastewater reuse and chemical contaminants of emerging concern". Chemosphere 2020; 248:126052. [PMID: 32028163 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, Cyprus.
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute of Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luigi Rizzo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Italy
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16
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Slipko K, Reif D, Wögerbauer M, Hufnagl P, Krampe J, Kreuzinger N. Removal of extracellular free DNA and antibiotic resistance genes from water and wastewater by membranes ranging from microfiltration to reverse osmosis. Water Res 2019; 164:114916. [PMID: 31394466 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Free DNA in the effluent from wastewater treatment plants has recently been observed to contain antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which may contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer in the receiving environment. Technical membrane systems applied in wastewater and drinking water treatment are situated at central nodes between the environmental and human related aspects of the "One Health" approach and are considered as effective barriers for antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, they are not evaluated for their permeability for ARGs encoded in free DNA, which may result, for example, from the release of free DNA after bacterial die-off during particular treatment processes. This study examined the potential and principle mechanisms for the removal of free DNA containing ARGs by technical membrane filtration. Ten different membranes, varied by the charge (neutral and negative) and the molecular weight cut off (in a range from microfiltration to reverse osmosis), were tested for the removal of free DNA (pure supercoiled and linearized plasmids encoding for ARGs and free linear chromosomal DNA with a broader fragment size spectrum) in different water matrices (distilled water and wastewater treatment plant effluent). Our results showed that membranes with a molecular weight cut off smaller than 5000 Da (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) could retain ≥99.80% of free DNA, both pure plasmid and linear fragments of different sizes, whereas microfiltration commonly applied in wastewater treatment showed no retention. Size exclusion was identified as the main retention mechanism. Additionally, surface charging of the membrane and adsorption of free DNA on the membrane surface played a key role in prevention of free DNA permeation. Currently, majority of the applied membranes is negatively charged to prevent adsorption of natural organic matter. In our study, negatively charged membranes showed lower retention of free DNA compared to neutral ones due to repulsion of free DNA molecules, reduced adsorption and decreased blockage of the membrane surface. Therefore, the applied membrane may not be as an effective barrier for ARGs encoded in free DNA, as it would be predicted based only on the molecular weight cut off. Thus, careful considerations of membrane's specifications (molecular weight cut-off and charge) are required during design of a filtration system for retention of free DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Slipko
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniela Reif
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wögerbauer
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1220, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Währingerstrasse 25a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
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17
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Cacace D, Fatta-Kassinos D, Manaia CM, Cytryn E, Kreuzinger N, Rizzo L, Karaolia P, Schwartz T, Alexander J, Merlin C, Garelick H, Schmitt H, de Vries D, Schwermer CU, Meric S, Ozkal CB, Pons MN, Kneis D, Berendonk TU. Antibiotic resistance genes in treated wastewater and in the receiving water bodies: A pan-European survey of urban settings. Water Res 2019; 162:320-330. [PMID: 31288142 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing public concern regarding the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during wastewater treatment, their persistence during the treatment process and their potential impacts on the receiving water bodies. In this study, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine the abundance of nine ARGs and a class 1 integron associated integrase gene in 16 wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents from ten different European countries. In order to assess the impact on the receiving water bodies, gene abundances in the latter were also analysed. Six out of the nine ARGs analysed were detected in all effluent and river water samples. Among the quantified genes, intI1 and sul1 were the most abundant. Our results demonstrate that European WWTP contribute to the enrichment of the resistome in the receiving water bodies with the particular impact being dependent on the effluent load and local hydrological conditions. The ARGs concentrations in WWTP effluents were found to be inversely correlated to the number of implemented biological treatment steps, indicating a possible option for WWTP management. Furthermore, this study has identified blaOXA-58 as a possible resistance gene for future studies investigating the impact of WWTPs on their receiving water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Cacace
- Environmental Sciences Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, 01062, Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, Germany
| | - Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Center, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Celia M Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- The Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan, Israel
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luigi Rizzo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo 1, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Popi Karaolia
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Center, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Thomas Schwartz
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Campus North, Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), P.O. Box 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Johannes Alexander
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Campus North, Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), P.O. Box 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Christophe Merlin
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour Les Matériaux et L'Environnement (LCPME), UMR 7564, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy F, 54500, France
| | - Hemda Garelick
- Department of Natural Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584, CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Daisy de Vries
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584, CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carsten U Schwermer
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sureyya Meric
- Corlu Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Çorlu, 59860, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Can Burak Ozkal
- Corlu Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Çorlu, 59860, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Marie-Noelle Pons
- Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, 1, Rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001, Nancy Cedex, France
| | - David Kneis
- Environmental Sciences Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, 01062, Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, Germany
| | - Thomas U Berendonk
- Environmental Sciences Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, 01062, Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, Germany.
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18
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Zoboli O, Schilling K, Ludwig AL, Kreuzinger N, Zessner M. Primary productivity and climate change in Austrian lowland rivers. Water Sci Technol 2018; 77:417-425. [PMID: 29377826 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2017.553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence of water temperature being a key controlling factor of stream ecosystem metabolism. Although the focus of research currently lies on carbon emissions from fluvial networks and their potential role as positive climate feedback, it is also important to estimate the risk of eutrophication streams will be exposed to in the future. In this work, a methodological approach is developed to create a scientific basis for such assessment and is applied to two Austrian lowland rivers with significantly different characteristics. Gross primary productivity (GPP) is determined through the open diel oxygen method and its temperature dependence is quantified based on the metabolic theory of ecology. This relationship is combined with the outcomes of a climate change scenario obtained through a novel integrated modelling framework. Results indicate that in both rivers, a 1.5°C warming would provoke an increase of GPP of 7-9% and that such an increase would not be limited by nutrient availability. The results further suggest that the situation for the relatively shallow river might be more critical, given that its GPP values in summer are five times higher than in the deeper murky river.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katerina Schilling
- IAWD - International Association of Water Supply Companies in the Danube River Catchment Area, Grabnergasse 4-6, 1060 Vienna, Austria and Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, TU Wien Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna-Lena Ludwig
- Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Zessner
- Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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19
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Gatica J, Tripathi V, Green S, Manaia CM, Berendonk T, Cacace D, Merlin C, Kreuzinger N, Schwartz T, Fatta-Kassinos D, Rizzo L, Schwermer CU, Garelick H, Jurkevitch E, Cytryn E. High Throughput Analysis of Integron Gene Cassettes in Wastewater Environments. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:11825-11836. [PMID: 27689892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Integrons are extensively targeted as a proxy for anthropogenic impact in the environment. We developed a novel high-throughput amplicon sequencing pipeline that enables characterization of thousands of integron gene cassette-associated reads, and applied it to acquire a comprehensive overview of gene cassette composition in effluents from wastewater treatment facilities across Europe. Between 38 100 and 172 995 reads per-sample were generated and functionally characterized by screening against nr, SEED, ARDB and β-lactamase databases. Over 75% of the reads were characterized as hypothetical, but thousands were associated with toxin-antitoxin systems, DNA repair, cell membrane function, detoxification and aminoglycoside and β-lactam resistance. Among the reads characterized as β-lactamases, the carbapenemase blaOXA was dominant in most of the effluents, except for Cyprus and Israel where blaGES was also abundant. Quantitative PCR assessment of blaOXA and blaGES genes in the European effluents revealed similar trends to those displayed in the integron amplicon sequencing pipeline described above, corroborating the robustness of this method and suggesting that these integron-associated genes may be excellent targets for source tracking of effluents in downstream environments. Further application of the above analyses revealed several order-of-magnitude reductions in effluent-associated β-lactamase genes in effluent-saturated soils, suggesting marginal persistence in the soil microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao Gatica
- The Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan, Israel
- The Department of Soil and Water Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot, Israel
| | - Vijay Tripathi
- The Department of Soil and Water Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot, Israel
| | - Stefan Green
- DNA Services Facility, Research Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Celia M Manaia
- Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa , Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Thomas Berendonk
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Damiano Cacace
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Christophe Merlin
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement (LCPME), UMR 7564, Institut Jean Barriol , 15 Avenue du Charmois, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- Université de Lorraine, LCPME , UMR 7564, 15 Avenue du Charmois, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality, Resources and Waste Managment, Technische Universität Wien , Wien, Austria
| | - Thomas Schwartz
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas, International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus , P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Luigi Rizzo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno , Salerno, Italy
| | | | - Hemda Garelick
- School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University , London, U.K
| | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- The Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- The Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet-Dagan, Israel
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Fatta-Kassinos D, Manaia C, Berendonk TU, Cytryn E, Bayona J, Chefetz B, Slobodnik J, Kreuzinger N, Rizzo L, Malato S, Lundy L, Ledin A. COST Action ES1403: new and emerging challenges and opportunities in wastewater reuse (NEREUS). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2015; 22:7183-7186. [PMID: 25752636 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4278-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus,
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21
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Schaar H, Sommer R, Schürhagl R, Yillia P, Kreuzinger N. Microorganism inactivation by an ozonation step optimized for micropollutant removal from tertiary effluent. Water Sci Technol 2013; 68:311-318. [PMID: 23863422 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2013.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper demonstrates the additional benefit of the microbicidal efficacy of an ozonation plant implemented for micropollutant removal from tertiary effluent. Due to the low amount of viruses and protozoa in the tertiary effluent, bacteriophage MS2 and spores of Bacillus subtilis were dosed as surrogates. At specific ozone consumptions of 0.6 and 0.9 g O3/g dissolved organic carbon (DOC) a 2-log colony forming unit (CFU) reduction was achieved for indigenous Escherichia coli and enterococci, and the limits of the European bathing water directive for the excellent quality of inland waters were met. Higher removal was impeded by the shielding effect of suspended solids in the effluent, which implies the combination of ozonation with a preceding filtration step if higher microbicidal performances are required. The surrogate virus MS2 was reduced by 4-5 log while no significant inactivation was detected for B. subtilis spores. Additionally, the impact of ozonation on the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was studied. The BOD5 measurement was not adversely affected despite the reduced concentration of microorganisms after ozonation. The intrinsic increase in BOD5 averaged 15% at 0.6-0.7 g O3/g DOC. The impact of the projected increase on the surface water quality is generally not considered a problem but has to be assessed on a case-by-case approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Schaar
- Institute of Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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22
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Altmann D, Schaar H, Bartel C, Schorkopf DLP, Miller I, Kreuzinger N, Möstl E, Grillitsch B. Impact of ozonation on ecotoxicity and endocrine activity of tertiary treated wastewater effluent. Water Res 2012; 46:3693-3702. [PMID: 22551818 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Revised: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Tertiary wastewater treatment plant effluent before and after ozonation (0.6-1.1g O₃/g DOC) was tested for aquatic ecotoxicity in a battery of standardised microbioassays with green algae, daphnids, and zebrafish eggs. In addition, unconjugated estrogen and 17β-hydroxyandrogen immunoreactive substances were quantified by means of enzyme immunoassays, and endocrine effects were analysed in a 21-day fish screening assay with adult male and female medaka (Oryzias latipes). Ozonation decreased estrogen-immunoreactivity by 97.7±1.2% and, to a lesser extent, androgen-immunoreactivity by 56.3±16.5%. None of the short-term exposure ecotoxicity tests revealed any adverse effects of the tertiary effluent, neither before nor after the ozonation step. Similarly in the fish screening assay, reproductive fitness parameters showed no effects attributed to micropollutants, and no detrimental effects of the effluents were observed. Based on the presented screening, ozonation effectively reduced steroid hormone levels in the wastewater treatment plant effluent without increasing the effluent's ecotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Altmann
- Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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23
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Gabriel O, Ruzicka K, Kreuzinger N. Upgrading Vienna's wastewater treatment plant - linking point source emissions to Environmental Quality Standards. Water Sci Technol 2012; 65:1290-1297. [PMID: 22437028 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2012.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The new water quality protection approach of the EU combines the control of emissions with instream Environmental Quality Standards (=EQS). Since 1 April 2006 and actually relevant in the version of 2010 in Austria, priority substances from list A of the EUROPEAN DIERECTIVE 76/464 and further EQS of relevant chemical substances (list B), identified by a national risk assessment, have to be reached to achieve a good ecological state in the surface water (Edict for Water Quality Standards, 2006; changes to the Edict for Water Quality Standards 2010). The practical assessment of these substances after point source emissions is prescribed in the Edict, but rarely carried out. In this paper, two substances, namely: (1) ammonium (list B); and (2) nonylphenol, an endocrine disrupting compound (list A) are presented to discuss: (i) the improvement of treatment efficiency due to the upgrade of a large Waste Water Treatment Plant (=WWTP); (ii) the relevance of mixing processes and modelling as a method to control EQS after point source emissions; and (iii) the improvement of water quality in the ambient surface waters. It is shown that the improved treatment in the case of nonylphenol leads to emission values which fall below the EQS, making an assessment unnecessary. In the case of ammonium emission, values are significantly reduced and violation of EQS is avoided, while mixing modelling is shown to be a suitable instrument to address the resulting instream concentrations at different border conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Gabriel
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Vienna, Austria.
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24
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Thaler S, Zessner M, De Lis FB, Kreuzinger N, Fehringer R. Considerations on methodological challenges for water footprint calculations. Water Sci Technol 2012; 65:1258-1264. [PMID: 22437024 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2012.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated how different approaches for water footprint (WF) calculations lead to different results, taking sugar beet production and sugar refining as examples. To a large extent, results obtained from any WF calculation are reflective of the method used and the assumptions made. Real irrigation data for 59 European sugar beet growing areas showed inadequate estimation of irrigation water when a widely used simple approach was used. The method resulted in an overestimation of blue water and an underestimation of green water usage. Dependent on the chosen (available) water quality standard, the final grey WF can differ up to a factor of 10 and more. We conclude that further development and standardisation of the WF is needed to reach comparable and reliable results. A special focus should be on standardisation of the grey WF methodology based on receiving water quality standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Thaler
- Institute for Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
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25
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Macharia P, Yillia P, Byamukama D, Muia W, Kreuzinger N. P2-443 A retrospective epidemiological study of endemic waterborne illness in a pastoral community in Kenya. Br J Soc Med 2011. [DOI: 10.1136/jech.2011.142976l.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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26
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Mišík M, Knasmueller S, Ferk F, Cichna-Markl M, Grummt T, Schaar H, Kreuzinger N. Impact of ozonation on the genotoxic activity of tertiary treated municipal wastewater. Water Res 2011; 45:3681-3691. [PMID: 21565381 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2011.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2010] [Revised: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 04/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Ozonation is an emerging technology for the removal of micropollutants from treated wastewater. Aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of ozone treatment on genotoxic and acute toxic effects of tertiary treated municipal wastewater. It is known that DNA-damaging chemicals cause adverse effects in the environment and that exposure to humans leads to cancer and other diseases. Toxicity was tested in organisms from three trophic levels namely in bacteria (Salmonella/microsome assays) which enable the detection of gene mutations, in a plant bioassay (micronucleus assay with root tip cells of Allium cepa) which reflects clastogenic and aneugenic effects and in single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) tests with mammalian cells which detect DNA migration caused by single-, double strand breaks and alkali labile sites. In the bacterial tests negative results were obtained with untreated samples but after concentration with C(18) cartridges a positive result was found in strains TA1537 and TA98 which are sensitive to frameshift mutagens while no mutations were induced in other tester strains (TA100, TA102 and YG1024). Ozone treatment led to a decrease of the mutagenic activity of the samples. In the SCGE experiments, DNA migration was detected with the unconcentrated effluent of the treatment plant and ozonation led to a substantial decrease of this effect. In the plant bioassays, negative results were obtained with the effluent and ozone treatment did not cause an alteration of the micronucleus frequencies. Also acute toxic effects were monitored in the different indicator organisms under all experimental conditions. The bacteriocidal/bacteriostatic effects which were seen with the concentrated samples were reduced by ozonation. In the experiments with the eukaryotic (plant and animal) cells no acute toxicity was seen with the effluents and ozonation had no impact on their viability. In conclusion findings of this study indicate that ozonation of tertiary effluents of a municipal treatment plant reduces the adverse effects caused by release of mutagens in aquatic ecosystems and does not decrease the viability of bacteria and eukaryotic cells. However, future research is required to find out if, and to which extent these findings can be generalized and which mechanisms account for the detoxification of the wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Mišík
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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27
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Schaar H, Clara M, Gans O, Kreuzinger N. Micropollutant removal during biological wastewater treatment and a subsequent ozonation step. Environ Pollut 2010; 158:1399-1404. [PMID: 20085854 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2009] [Revised: 12/23/2009] [Accepted: 12/25/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The design criteria for wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and the sludge retention time, respectively, have a significant impact on micropollutant removal. The upgrade of an Austrian municipal WWTP to nitrogen removal (best available technology, BAT) resulted in increased elimination of most of the analyzed micropollutants. Substances, such as bisphenol-A, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol and the antibiotics erythromycin and roxithromycin were only removed after the upgrade of the WWTP. Nevertheless, the BAT was not sufficient to completely eliminate these compounds. Thus, a pilot scale ozonation plant was installed for additional treatment of the effluent. The application of 0.6 g O(3) g DOC(-1) increased the removal of most of the micropollutants, especially for compounds that were not degraded in the previous biological process, as for example carbamazepine and diclofenac. These results indicated that the ozonation of WWTP effluent is a promising technology to further decrease emissions of micropollutants from the treatment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidemarie Schaar
- Institute of Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Yillia PT, Kreuzinger N, Mwetu KK. Temporal variability of two contrasting transient pollution events in a pastoral stream. Water Sci Technol 2010; 61:1053-1063. [PMID: 20182086 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2010.566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Two transient pollution events were monitored in a pastoral stream in southwestern Kenya to evaluate their relative contribution to diffuse pollution. Peak loads of pollutants during storm-induced transients were within 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than the short-lived (30-60 minutes) diurnal episodes provoked by in-stream activities of people and livestock. Transient yields were striking during storm-induced events; 778,000, 8,400, 550 and 100 kg day(-1) for suspended solids, BOD(5), total P and total N, respectively, compared to wet weather base flow (150, 30, 0.8 and 1.4 kg day(-1), for the same parameters, respectively). Two forms of concentration-discharge relationships were observed: increases in concentration for turbidity, suspended solids, BOD(5), total P and the faecal indicator bacteria at the peak of the stream hydrograph, and concurrent decreases in concentration for conductivity and total N. Following each storm-induced transient event, a marked improvement in water quality was observed within 48-72 hrs of the receding limb of the stream hydrograph before the next base low was established. It was concluded that storm-induced transients are exceedingly important for the mobilization of pollutants from diffuse sources but both transient events affect stream-channel processes, especially water quality, with the possibility of attendant consequences on the health of riparian inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- P T Yillia
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, Vienna, Austria.
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29
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Yillia PT, Kreuzinger N. Net flux of pollutants at a reduced spatial scale--an index of catchment vulnerability. Water Sci Technol 2009; 59:109-116. [PMID: 19151492 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2009.568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Emissions and riverine loads of pollutants were estimated for five sub-catchments in the Njoro River Catchment, Kenya to isolate specific areas for interim pollution management. The most vulnerable sub-catchments were the densely settled and heavily farmed areas around Egerton University and Njoro Township with the restricted area between them demonstrating a remarkable potential to retain/remove most of the pollution emitted in the Egerton University area. The least vulnerable sub-catchment was the predominantly forested Upper Njoro River Catchment whereas the recently settled and increasingly farmed Lower Little Shuru was moderately vulnerability. The method provided a scientific framework for the rapid assessment of catchment vulnerability to prioritize areas for remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P T Yillia
- University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
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30
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Martínez-Carballo E, González-Barreiro C, Sitka A, Kreuzinger N, Scharf S, Gans O. Determination of selected quaternary ammonium compounds by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Part II. Application to sediment and sludge samples in Austria. Environ Pollut 2007; 146:543-7. [PMID: 17011092 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2005] [Revised: 06/26/2006] [Accepted: 07/28/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Soxhlet extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry detection (MS/MS) was used for the determination of selected quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in solid samples. The method was applied for the determination of alkyl benzyl, dialkyl and trialkyl quaternary ammonium compounds in sediment and sludge samples in Austria. The overall method quantification limits range from 0.6 to 3 microg/kg for sediments and from 2 to 5 microg/kg for sewage sludges. Mean recoveries between 67% and 95% are achieved. In general sediments were especially contaminated by C12 chain benzalkonium chloride (BAC-C12) as well as by the long C-chain dialkyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC-C18) with a maximum concentration of 3.6 mg/kg and 2.1mg/kg, respectively. Maxima of 27 mg/kg for DDAC-C10, 25 mg/kg for BAC-C12 and 23 mg/kg for BAC-C14 were determined for sludge samples. The sums of the 12 selected target compounds range from 22 mg/kg to 103 mg/kg in the sludge samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martínez-Carballo
- Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Austrian Federal Environment Agency), Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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31
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Martínez-Carballo E, Sitka A, González-Barreiro C, Kreuzinger N, Fürhacker M, Scharf S, Gans O. Determination of selected quaternary ammonium compounds by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Part I. Application to surface, waste and indirect discharge water samples in Austria. Environ Pollut 2007; 145:489-96. [PMID: 16835005 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2005] [Revised: 04/18/2006] [Accepted: 04/21/2006] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
A method for simultaneous quantitative determination of alkyl benzyl, dialkyl and trialkyl quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) has been developed, validated and subsequently applied to real water samples in Austria. The method employs liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) followed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), using electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive mode. The overall method quantification limits range from 4 to 19ng/L for the enrichment of 500mL water samples and analyte recoveries are between 80 and 99%. The method was applied to 62 of the respective water samples without filtration to avoid the loss of the analytes due to the high adsorption capacity of these compounds. Maxima in the mg/L range, especially in the wastewater of hospitals and laundries, could be detected for the selected target compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martínez-Carballo
- Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Austrian Federal Environment Agency), Environment Analysis/Hazardous Subsatnces & Metabolites, Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090 Wien, Austria.
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32
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Tietz A, Hornek R, Langergraber G, Kreuzinger N, Haberl R. Diversity of ammonia oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland. Water Sci Technol 2007; 56:241-7. [PMID: 17802861 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2007.505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) with intermittent loading are very suitable for nitrification. Ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) are the limiting step of nitration. Therefore the AOB community of a full-scale VFCW, receiving municipal wastewater, was investigated within this study. The diversity of the functional gene encoding the alpha-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA), present only in AOB, was assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Only very few amoA sequence types dominated the wetland filter substrate; nevertheless a stable nitrification performance could be observed. During the cold season the nitrification was slightly reduced, but it has been shown that the same AOB could be identified. No spatial AOB pattern could be observed within the filter body of the VFCW. The most prominent bands were excised from DGGE gels and sequenced. Sequence analyses revealed two dominant AOB lineages: Nitrosomonas europaea/"Nitrosococcus mobilis" and Nitrosospira. Species of the Nitrosomonas lineage are commonly found in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In contrast, members of the Nitrosospira lineage are rarely present in WWTPs. Our observations indicate that the AOB community in this VFCW is similar to that found in horizontal flow constructed wetlands, but differs from common WWTPs regarding the presence of Nitrosospira.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tietz
- Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, BOKU--University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
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33
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Grillitsch B, Gans O, Kreuzinger N, Scharf S, Uhl M, Fuerhacker M. Environmental risk assessment for quaternary ammonium compounds: a case study from Austria. Water Sci Technol 2006; 54:111-8. [PMID: 17302311 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2006.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are widely used as disinfectants, biocides, and detergents, among a variety of other applications. The cationic surface-activity of QAC determines their potential to act as a biocide on both target and non-target organisms. This study aims to provide a broad-based environmental risk characterization and evaluation for selected QAC with particular focus on the situation in Austrian rivers. A modular study design was employed involving environmental exposure characterization, QAC fate and effect analysis in wastewater, ecotoxicological effect characterization, and environmental risk evaluation. A wide array of Austrian surface waters and wastewater effluents were screened for the selected key compounds, benzalkonium chlorides and dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides with different C-chain lengths. Ecotoxicological effect characterization was based on both microbiotests for a set of representative aquatic organisms and a literature review. For risk evaluation, the PEC/PNEC ratio was above 1 for some rivers. Notably, small rivers with a high particulate matter were contaminated with QAC in the case of high water incidents. Hence, for the Austrian sites studied, a QAC-derived risk to sensitive aquatic non-target organisms could not be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Grillitsch
- University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210, Austria.
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34
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Hornek R, Pommerening-Röser A, Koops HP, Farnleitner AH, Kreuzinger N, Kirschner A, Mach RL. Primers containing universal bases reduce multiple amoA gene specific DGGE band patterns when analysing the diversity of beta-ammonia oxidizers in the environment. J Microbiol Methods 2005; 66:147-55. [PMID: 16343671 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2005.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2005] [Revised: 10/26/2005] [Accepted: 11/01/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The gene encoding the active site of the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) has been exploited as molecular marker for studying ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) diversity in the environment. Primers amplifying functional genes are often degenerated and therefore produce multiple band patterns, when analysed with the Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach. To improve the DGGE band patterns we have designed new primer sets which contain inosine residues and are specific for the amoA gene. Primers were evaluated analysing pure AOB cultures and two habitats (wastewater treatment plant, soda pools). We found that the application of inosine primers helped to reduce the apparent complexity of the DGGE band pattern. Comparison of sequences from environmental samples using either degenerated or inosine containing amoA primers retrieved both identical and additional sequences. Both primer sets seem to be limited in their ability to detect the presence of all AOB by DGGE analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Hornek
- Institute for Chemical Engineering, Working Group Gene Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166/5, Austria.
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35
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Clara M, Strenn B, Gans O, Martinez E, Kreuzinger N, Kroiss H. Removal of selected pharmaceuticals, fragrances and endocrine disrupting compounds in a membrane bioreactor and conventional wastewater treatment plants. Water Res 2005; 39:4797-807. [PMID: 16242170 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2005.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 471] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2004] [Revised: 09/01/2005] [Accepted: 09/13/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Eight pharmaceuticals, two polycyclic musk fragrances and nine endocrine disrupting chemicals were analysed in several waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). A membrane bioreactor in pilot scale was operated at different solid retention times (SRTs) and the results obtained are compared to conventional activated sludge plants (CASP) operated at different SRTs. The SRT is an important design parameter and its impact on achievable treatment efficiencies was evaluated. Different behaviours were observed for the different investigated compounds. Some compounds as the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine were not removed in any of the sampled treatment facilities and effluent concentrations in the range of influent concentrations were measured. Other compounds as bisphenol-A, the analgesic ibuprofen or the lipid regulator bezafibrate were nearly completely removed (removal rates >90%). The operation of WWTPs with SRTs suitable for nitrogen removal (SRT>10 days at 10 degrees C) also increases the removal potential regarding selected micropollutants. No differences in treatment efficiencies were detected between the two treatment techniques. As in conventional WWTP also the removal potential of MBRs depends on the SRT. Ultrafiltration membranes do not allow any additional detention of the investigated substances due to size exclusion. However, MBRs achieve a high SRT within a compact reactor. Nonylphenolpolyehtoxylates were removed in higher extend in very low-loaded conventional WWTPs, due to variations of redox conditions, necessary for the degradation of those compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Clara
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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36
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Liti D, Munguti J, Kreuzinger N, Kummer H. Effects of sodium chloride on water quality and growth of Oreochromis niloticus in earthen ponds. Afr J Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2005.00542.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ternes T, Joss A, Kreuzinger N, Miksch K, Lema JM, Gunten UV, McArdell CS, Siegrist H. REMOVAL OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS: RESULTS OF THE POSEIDON PROJECT. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.2175/193864705783868115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Clara M, Kreuzinger N, Strenn B, Gans O, Kroiss H. The solids retention time-a suitable design parameter to evaluate the capacity of wastewater treatment plants to remove micropollutants. Water Res 2005; 39:97-106. [PMID: 15607169 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2004.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 388] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2004] [Revised: 08/10/2004] [Accepted: 08/26/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Micropollutants as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) or pharmaceuticals are of increased interest in water pollution control. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are relevant point sources for residues of these compounds in the aquatic environment. The solids retention time (SRT) is one important parameter for the design of WWTPs, relating to growth rate of microorganisms and to effluent concentrations. If a specific substance is degraded in dependency on the SRT, a critical value for the sludge age can be determined. In WWTPs operating SRTs below this critical value, effluent concentrations in the range of influent concentrations or a distribution according to the adsorption equilibrium have to be expected, whereas in WWTPs operating at SRTs higher than the critical value degradation will occur. Critical SRTs were determined for different micropollutants, indicating that the design criteria based on the sludge age allows an estimation of emissions. Different treatment technologies as conventional activated sludge systems and a membrane bioreactor were considered and no significant differences in the treatment efficiency were detected when operated at comparable SRT. The results of the investigations lead to the conclusion that low effluent concentrations can be achieved in WWTPs operating SRTs higher than 10 days (referred to a temperature of 10 degrees C). This corresponds to the requirements for WWTPs situated in sensitive areas according to the urban wastewater directive of the European Community (91/271/EEC) in moderate climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Clara
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna, Karlsplatz 13/226, Austria.
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Clara M, Strenn B, Saracevic E, Kreuzinger N. Adsorption of bisphenol-A, 17 beta-estradiole and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiole to sewage sludge. Chemosphere 2004; 56:843-851. [PMID: 15261530 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2003] [Revised: 03/21/2004] [Accepted: 04/30/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Adsorption of bisphenol-A (CAS 85-05-7), 17 beta-estradiole (CAS 50-28-2) and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiole (CAS 57-63-6) to activated and to inactivated sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was investigated, thus allowing to distinguish between pure adsorption and biosorption. For the investigated substances the determination of the adsorption kinetics is based on experiments performed according to the OECD guideline 106 and on free concentration measurements in the liquid phase. The description of the adsorption behaviour occurred via Freundlich Adsorption Isotherms. Additionally specific adsorption coefficients KD, KOM and KOC were calculated. The results of these calculations were compared to KOC values obtained with a HPLC method according to the OECD guideline 121. All substances showed a high adsorption affinity to the adsorbent and in spite of the application of very high initial concentrations no saturation level could be reached. Within a contact time of 24 h, no difference between the adsorption to activated and inactivated sludge could be detected. The calculated KD values were within a range of about KD = 1000 l kg(-1) for the investigated compounds and showed a clear concentration dependency in the case of bisphenol-A. Adsorption was also found to depend on pH. The experimentally determined KOC values of the investigated substances were significantly higher than the results obtained with the HPLC method described in OECD guideline 121.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Clara
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226/1, A-1040 Vienna, Austria.
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Clara M, Strenn B, Kreuzinger N. Carbamazepine as a possible anthropogenic marker in the aquatic environment: investigations on the behaviour of Carbamazepine in wastewater treatment and during groundwater infiltration. Water Res 2004; 38:947-54. [PMID: 14769414 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2003.10.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 441] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2003] [Revised: 10/16/2003] [Accepted: 10/23/2003] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents are significant sources of pharmaceutical residues in surface waters, where high concentrations of the antiepileptic drug Carbamazepine have been detected. The solids retention time (SRT) is the most important parameter for the design of STPs. It relates to the growth rate of microorganisms and to effluent concentrations. The influence of SRT on the removal of Carbamazepine was studied on lab-scale plants. The results from these tests were then validated on several full-scale plants. Due to the lack of suitable receiving waters and groundwater resources, one of these STPs has to infiltrate the treated wastewater into unsaturated soil. Here, groundwater samples at equal distances from the infiltration point were taken to estimate the behaviour of Carbamazepine during soil passage and within the groundwater. This antiepileptic drug seems to be very persistent in the environment, therefore qualifying as a suitable marker for anthropogenic influences in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Clara
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna, Karlsplatz 13/226, Austria.
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Clara M, Strenn B, Ausserleitner M, Kreuzinger N. Comparison of the behaviour of selected micropollutants in a membrane bioreactor and a conventional wastewater treatment plant. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:29-36. [PMID: 15497826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Micropollutants as pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), residuals of personal care products or endocrine disrupting chemicals are of increasing interest in water pollution control. In this context the removal efficiencies of sewage treatment plants (STPs) are of importance, as their effluents are important point sources for the release of those substances into the aquatic environment. Activated sludge based wastewater treatment is the worldwide prevalently used treatment technique. In conventional plants the separation of treated wastewater and sludge occurs via sedimentation. A new development is the application of membrane technology for this separation step. The studies focus on the influence of the solids retention time (SRT) on the removal efficiency, as the SRT is the most important parameter in the design of STPs. A conventional activated sludge plant (CASP) and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) were operated at different SRTs. The substances selected are the antiepileptic carbamazepine, the analgesics diclofenac and ibuprofen, the lipid regulator bezafibrate, the polycyclic musks tonalide and galaxolide and the contraceptive 17alpha-ethinylestradiole. No significant differences in the removal efficiency were detected. Due to the absence of suspended solids in the MBR effluent, substances with high adsorption potential could be retained to slightly higher amounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Clara
- Institute for Water Quality, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Karlsplatz 13, Austria.
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Bursch W, Fuerhacker M, Gemeiner M, Grillitsch B, Jungbauer A, Kreuzinger N, Moestl E, Scharf S, Schmid E, Skutan S, Walter I. Endocrine disrupters in the aquatic environment: the Austrian approach--ARCEM. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:293-300. [PMID: 15497860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A consortium of Austrian scientists (ARCEM) carried out a multidisciplinary environmental study on Austrian surface and ground waters including chemical monitoring, bioindication, risk assessment and risk management for selected endocrine disrupters: 17beta-estradiol, estriol, estrone, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, 4-nonylphenol, 4-nonylphenol ethoxylates (4-NP1EO, 4-NP2EO) and their degradation products, ocytlphenol, ocytlphenol ethoxylates (OP1EO, OP2EO) as well as bisphenol A. To obtain data representative for Austria, a material flow analysis served to select relevant compounds and water samples were collected monthly over one year at those sites routinely used in Austrian water quality control. The following results were obtained and conclusions drawn: 1. Chemical monitoring: As compared to other countries, relatively low levels of pollution with endocrine disrupters were detected. 2. Bioindication: In the surface waters under study, male fish showed significant signs of feminization and demasculinization (increased production of the egg-yolk protein and histological changes of the gonads. 3. Risk assessment: For humans, exposure via either drinking water abstraction (ground water) or fish consumption was considered. The exposure levels of the compounds under study were below those considered to result in human health risks. Likewise, for bisphenol A and octylphenols, there was no indication for risk posed upon the aquatic environment (fish). However, nonylphenol or 17alpha-ethinylestradiol exposure along with results of bioindication (2) suggest a borderline estrogenic activity in a considerable number of surface waters. Consequently the emissions of these substances into the surface waters affected have to be reduced. 4. Risk management: Waste water treatment experiments revealed a positive correlation between the removal rate of endocrine disrupters from the waste water and the sludge retention time in the treatment plants. These substances are removed to a higher extend at low loaded plants designed for nutrient removal than at plants that remove carbon and/or employ nitrification only. As to drinking water treatment, chlorine dioxide and ozone were found to eliminate all investigated substances, except nonylphenol ethoxylates. (For the complete study see: www.arcem.at)
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Affiliation(s)
- W Bursch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasee 8a, A-1090 Vienna.
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Kreuzinger N, Clara M, Strenn B, Kroiss H. Relevance of the sludge retention time (SRT) as design criteria for wastewater treatment plants for the removal of endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals from wastewater. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:149-156. [PMID: 15497842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent a significant source for the input of micro pollutants as endocrine disruptors (EDs) or pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) into the aquatic environment. Treatment efficiency of WWTPs often is reported, taking into account only inflow and effluent concentrations without further specification of the WWTP investigated. In order to allow comparison and evaluation of the removal efficiency of different layouts and concepts in wastewater treatment, additional information like the sludge retention time (SRT) and sludge load (F/M ratio) are necessary. Presented results from different WWTPs show correlation of removal of EDs and PhACs to the SRT. Compared to WWTPs with high F/M ratio implementation of the nitrification process on WWTPs results in a significant increase of the removal efficiency for EDs and PhACs. This paper describes an approach to determine comparable removal rates for different activated sludge systems based on mass balance and SRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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Kreuzinger N, Clara M, Strenn B, Vogel B. Investigation on the behaviour of selected pharmaceuticals in the groundwater after infiltration of treated wastewater. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:221-228. [PMID: 15344795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In a rural arid area without suitable receiving water the treated wastewater of a low loaded municipal wastewater treatment plant with full nutrient removal and additional post treatment steps is infiltrated into the unsaturated soil for groundwater recharge. Groundwater probes at increasing distances from the infiltration point have been sampled every two months over a period of 14 months. Beside conventional parameters (nutrients, carbon, and bacterial counts) samples were analysed for pharmaceutically active substances. Depending on and corresponding to their chemical structure and their fate during wastewater treatment, the selected substances showed different behaviour in the saturated zone of the groundwater. The antiepileptic Carbamazepine behaves very conservative and only is removed negligible even after long flow times within the subsurface zone. For other substances like the tranquilizer Diazepam or the analgesics Diclofenac a partial elimination during the different steps of wastewater treatment can be observed. Further degradation could be observed during the subsequent subsurface passage. In correlation with flow time additional removal of these substances from the aqueous phase can be observed. The musk substances Galaxolide and Tonalide were removed to some extend but not as good as the previous mentioned compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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Strenn B, Clara M, Gans O, Kreuzinger N. Carbamazepine, diclofenac, ibuprofen and bezafibrate--investigations on the behaviour of selected pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:269-276. [PMID: 15497857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Numerous investigations in different European countries observed various pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in notable concentrations in the aquatic environment. Further determinations found the effluents of sewage treatment plants (STPs) to be significant sources for the entry of pharmaceutical residuals to rivers, streams and surface waters. Due to those pathways the knowledge about the elimination of these substances and their behaviour in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is elementary for protection of an intact aquatic environment. Since the sludge retention time (SRT) is the most important parameter for the design of STPs, its influence on the reduction rate of these PhACs in the wastewater treatment process was investigated. To study this influence of the SRT on the elimination of PhACs, lab scale plants have been operated with different sludge retention times. The results of the laboratory experiments have been validated analysing various STPs within a wide capacity range and operating at different SRTs. This report describes the determinations observed on the antiepileptic drug Carbamazepine, the two antiphlogistics and analgesics Diclofenac and Ibuprofen and the lipid regulator Bezafibrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Strenn
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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Kreuzinger N, Farnleitner A, Wandl G, Hornek R, Mach R. Molecular biological methods (DGGE) as a tool to investigate nitrification inhibition in wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol 2003; 47:165-172. [PMID: 12906286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Incomplete nitrification at an activated sludge plant for biological pre-treatment of rendering plant effluents led to a detailed investigation on the origin and solution of this problem. Preliminary studies revealed that an inhibition of ammonia oxidising microorganisms (AOM) by process waters of the rendering plant was responsible for the situation. We were able to show a correlation between the existence of specific AOM and nitrification capacity expressed as oxygen uptake rate for maximal nitrification (OURNmax). Only Nitrosospira sp. was found in the activated sludge of the rendering plant and another industrial wastewater treatment plant with problems in nitrification, while reference plants without nitrification problems showed Nitrosomonas spp. as the predominant ammonia oxidising bacteria. By accompanying engineering investigations and experiments (cross-feeding experiments, operation of a two-stage laboratory plant) with molecular biological methods (DGGE--Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) we were able to elaborate an applicable solution for the rendering plant. Laboratory experiments with a two-stage process layout finally provided complete nitrification overcoming the inhibiting nature of process waters from the rendering plant. DGGE analysis of the second stage activated sludge from the laboratory plant showed a shift in population structure from Nitrosospira sp. towards Nitrosomonas spp. simultaneous to the increase of nitrification capacity. Nitrification capacities comparable to full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants could be maintained for more than two months. As the design of wastewater treatment plants for nitrification is linked to the growth characteristics of Nitrosomonas spp., established criteria can be applied for the redesign of the full-scale plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Department for Chemistry and Biology of Water, Vienna University of Technology, Austria.
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Farnleitner AH, Kreuzinger N, Kavka GG, Grillenberger S, Rath J, Mach RL. Comparative analysis of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis in separating Escherichia coli uidA amplicons differing in single base substitutions. Lett Appl Microbiol 2000; 30:427-31. [PMID: 10849270 DOI: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2000.00742.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A set of Escherichia coli freshwater isolates was chosen to compare the effectiveness of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) vs temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) for separating homologous amplicons from the respective uidA region differing in one to seven single base substitutions. Both methods revealed congruent results but DGGE showed a five to eight times higher spatial separation of the uidA amplicons as compared with TTGE, although the experiments were performed at comparable denaturing gradients. In contrast to TTGE, DGGE displayed clear and focused bands. The results strongly indicated a significantly higher discrimination efficiency of the spatial chemical denaturing gradient as compared with the temporal temperature denaturing gradient for separating the uidA amplicons. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis proved to be highly efficient in the differentiation of E. coli uidA sequence types.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Farnleitner
- Institute of Biochemical Technology and Microbiology 172/5, Technical Institute of Biochemical Technology and Microbiology, Technical University of Vienna, Austria.
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Farnleitner AH, Kreuzinger N, Kavka GG, Grillenberger S, Rath J, Mach RL. Simultaneous detection and differentiation of Escherichia coli populations from environmental freshwaters by means of sequence variations in a fragment of the beta-D-glucuronidase gene. Appl Environ Microbiol 2000; 66:1340-6. [PMID: 10742209 PMCID: PMC91990 DOI: 10.1128/aem.66.4.1340-1346.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A PCR-based denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach was applied to a partial sequence of the beta-D-glucuronidase gene (uidA) for specific detection and differentiation of Escherichia coli populations according to their uidA sequence variations. Detection of sequence variations by PCR-DGGE and by PCR with direct sequencing correlated perfectly. Screening of 50 E. coli freshwater isolates and reference strains revealed 11 sequence types, showing nine polymorphic sites and an average number of pairwise differences between alleles of the uidA gene fragments (screened fragment length, 126 bp) of 2.3%. Among the analyzed strains a range of dominating to more rarely and/or uniquely observed E. coli sequence types was revealed. PCR-DGGE applied to fecally polluted river water samples simultaneously detected E. coli and generated a fingerprint of the mixed populations by separating the polymorphic uidA amplicons. No significant differences between non-cultivation-based and cultivation-based profiles were observed, suggesting that at least some members of all occurring sequence types could be cultivated. As E. coli is frequently used as a fecal indicator, this work is considered an important step towards a new, practical tool for the differentiation and tracing of fecal pollution in all kinds of waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Farnleitner
- Institute of Biochemical Technology and Microbiology 172/5, Technical University of Vienna, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
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Kreuzinger N, Podeu R, Gruber F, Göbl F, Kubicek CP. Identification of some ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes by PCR amplification of their gpd (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) genes. Appl Environ Microbiol 1996; 62:3432-8. [PMID: 8795234 PMCID: PMC168140 DOI: 10.1128/aem.62.9.3432-3438.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Degenerated oligonucleotide primers designed to flank an approximately 1.2-kb fragment of the gene encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) from ascomycetes and basidiomycetes were used to amplify the corresponding gpd fragments from several species of the ectomycorrhizal fungal taxa Boletus, Amanita, and Lactarius. Those from B. edulis, A. muscaria, and L. deterrimus were cloned and sequenced. The respective nucleotide sequences of these gene fragments showed a moderate degree of similarity (72 to 76%) in the protein-encoding regions and only a low degree of similarity in the introns (56 to 66%). Introns, where present, occurred at conserved positions, but the respective positions and numbers of introns in a given taxon varied. The amplified fragment from a given taxon could be distinguished from that of others by both restriction nuclease cleavage analysis and Southern hybridization. A procedure for labeling DNA probes with fluorescein-12-dUTP by PCR was developed. These probes were used in a nonradioactive hybridization assay, with which the gene could be detected in 2 ng of chromosomal DNA of L. deterrimus on slot blots. Taxon-specific amplification was achieved by the design of specific oligonucleotide primers. The application of the gpd gene for the identification of mycorrhizal fungi under field conditions was demonstrated, with Picea abies (spruce) mycorrhizal roots harvested from a northern alpine forest area as well as from a plant-breeding nursery. The interference by inhibitory substances, which sometimes occurred in the DNA extracted from the root-fungus mixture, could be overcome by using very diluted concentrations of template DNA for a first round of PCR amplification followed by a second round with nested oligonucleotide primers. We conclude that gpd can be used to detect ectomycorrhizal fungi during symbiotic interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kreuzinger
- Abteilung für Mikrobielle Biochemie, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
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