TITLE:
Behavior of Antibiotic-Resistant Fecal Coliforms in the Stream of a Sewage Treatment Plant in Tokyo
AUTHORS:
Naoto Urano, Masahiko Okai, Yusuke Tashiro, Azusa Takeuchi, Rintaro Endo, Masami Ishida, Masachika Takashio
KEYWORDS:
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (ARB), Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL), Fecal Coliforms, Sewage Treatment Plant, Reclaimed Water
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.10 No.7,
July
21,
2020
ABSTRACT: We are
confronting a new threat in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
followed by epidemic spread in aquatic environments in metropolitan areas
because damage from river floods is increasing remarkably in Japan due to
global extreme weather. The sewer penetration rate is about 100% in Tokyo and
reclaimed water from sewage treatment plants accounts for over 50% of all water
in both the down- and mid-stream areas of local rivers. The water quality of
these rivers, which contain microflora, seems to be seriously affected by reclaimed
water. In this study, we collected water samples on July 17, 2018 and examined
the behavior of antibiotic-resistant fecal coliforms in the stream of a sewage
treatment plant in Tokyo. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
fecal coliforms with encoding genes were found; the CTX-M-1, CTX-M-9, TEM, and
SHV groups were found to have survived in the final effluent to the river after
sterilization with sodium hypochlorite.