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Antibiotic resistance in urban aquatic environments: can it be controlled?

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Abstract

Over the last decade, numerous evidences have contributed to establish a link between the natural and human-impacted environments and the growing public health threat that is the antimicrobial resistance. In the environment, in particular in areas subjected to strong anthropogenic pressures, water plays a major role on the transformation and transport of contaminants including antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes. Therefore, the urban water cycle, comprising water abstraction, disinfection, and distribution for human consumption, and the collection, treatment, and delivery of wastewater to the environment, is a particularly interesting loop to track the fate of antibiotic resistance in the environment and to assess the risks of its transmission back to humans. In this article, the relevance of different transepts of the urban water cycle on the potential enrichment and spread of antibiotic resistance is reviewed. According to this analysis, some gaps of knowledge, research needs, and control measures are suggested. The critical rationale behind the measures suggested and the desirable involvement of some key action players is also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this work was provided by project NORTE-07-0202-FEDER-038900 (NEPCAT), financed by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) through ON2 (Programa Operacional do Norte). This work was partially cofinanced by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/MEC and PIDDAC funds through projects PEst-OE/EQB/LA0016/2013 and WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE - Stopping Antibiotic Resistance Evolution.” The authors would like to acknowledge the COST-European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action ES1403: new and emerging challenges and opportunities in wastewater reuse (NEREUS) for stimulating the work implemented in the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401, Porto, Portugal

    Célia M. Manaia & Gonçalo Macedo

  2. Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering and Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Despo Fatta-Kassinos

  3. LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Olga C. Nunes

Authors
  1. Célia M. Manaia
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  2. Gonçalo Macedo
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  3. Despo Fatta-Kassinos
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  4. Olga C. Nunes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Célia M. Manaia.

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Manaia, C.M., Macedo, G., Fatta-Kassinos, D. et al. Antibiotic resistance in urban aquatic environments: can it be controlled?. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 1543–1557 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-015-7202-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-015-7202-0

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