Surveillance, distribution, and treatment methods of antimicrobial resistance in water: A review

Ravi P Pandey; Ahmed F Yousef; Habiba Alsafar; Shadi W Hasan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164360

Surveillance, distribution, and treatment methods of antimicrobial resistance in water: A review

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Sep 10:890:164360. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164360. Epub 2023 May 21.

Authors

Ravi P Pandey¹, Ahmed F Yousef², Habiba Alsafar³, Shadi W Hasan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
² Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
³ Center for Biotechnology (BTC), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Emirates Bio-Research Center, Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: shadi.hasan@ku.ac.ae.

PMID: 37220807
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164360

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a serious threat to human health. Scientists warn that the world is approaching a post-antibiotic era, in which antibiotics will be ineffective, and AMR infections may become a leading cause of death worldwide. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as hotspots for the spread and reproduction of AMR. This review focuses on the fate of AMR in WWTPs and advanced water treatment processes, highlighting their removal efficiencies and limitations. Additionally, methods for monitoring AMR in WWTPs and aquatic environments are discussed. Monitoring of AMR in wastewater is crucial for tracking its presence and spread to the environment. Advanced AMR treatment processes such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs), vermifiltration (VF), advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), and membrane filtration processes (MFPs) are discussed and compared.

Keywords: AMR; Advanced treatment technologies; Monitoring; Wastewater.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
Bioreactors
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Humans
Oxidation-Reduction
Wastewater
Water Purification*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Wastewater