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Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants

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Abstract

The potential of domestic wastewater treatment plants to contribute for the dissemination of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteria was assessed. Differences on bacterial counts and percentage of resistance in the raw wastewater could not be explained on basis of the size of the plant or demographic characteristics of population served. In contrast, the treated effluent of the larger plants had significantly more heterotrophs and enterobacteria, including ciprofloxacin-resistant organisms, than the smaller (p < 0.01). Moreover, longer hydraulic retention times were associated with significantly higher percentages of resistant enterobacteria in the treated effluent (p < 0.05). Independently of the size or type of treatment used, domestic wastewater treatment plants discharged per day at least 1010–1014 colony forming units of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteria into the receiving environment.

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Acknowledgements

Authors gratefully acknowledge the engineers of the WWTP for their support for samples collection and the COD and BOD5 analyses. This study was financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (project PTDC/AMB/71236/2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

    Celia M. Manaia & Ana Novo

  2. LEPAE/Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Bruno Coelho & Olga C. Nunes

Authors
  1. Celia M. Manaia
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  2. Ana Novo
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  3. Bruno Coelho
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  4. Olga C. Nunes
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Correspondence to Celia M. Manaia.

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Manaia, C.M., Novo, A., Coelho, B. et al. Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants. Water Air Soil Pollut 208, 335–343 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0171-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0171-0

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