Publications by authors named "Stella G Michael"
Ultrafiltration (UF) was assessed at chemical, microbiological, genetical and toxicological level and in terms of removing specific antibiotic-related microcontaminants from urban wastewater. The UF capacity to remove various antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, ampicillin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tetracycline; [A] = 100 μg L) was optimised with respect to the feed recirculation rate (25-50%) and feed/transmembrane pressure (1.5-3/1.
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- The conventional activated sludge (CAS) process struggles to effectively eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) compared to membrane bioreactors (MBRs).
- Researchers conducted a study on two urban wastewater treatment plants, one using MBR and the other CAS, utilizing shotgun metagenomics to analyze the presence of pathogenic bacteria and resistance genes in both influents and effluents.
- MBR systems showed superior performance in reducing pathogenic taxa and specific resistance genes, suggesting they could lessen health risks linked to wastewater reuse by better retaining harmful components.
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.
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- Integrated antibiotic resistance surveillance is a key goal of the WHO's action plan, targeting urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) as both important sources and receptors of environmental antibiotic resistance (AR).
- A study involving 12 UWTPs across seven European countries revealed that the AR profiles in wastewater closely reflected the increasing clinical AR rates observed from north to south in Europe.
- Factors like antibiotic usage, environmental temperature, and the size of UWTPs significantly influence the persistence and spread of resistance, underscoring the necessity for ongoing surveillance and tailored control strategies based on geographic specifics.