Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
Fall 10-2020
Abstract
The effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) include a complex mixture of nutrients and toxic substances, thus, the potential exists for the effluent to significantly impact the biochemical characteristics and bacterial communities of the receiving freshwater ecosystem. Our findings highlight the worrisome impacts of WWTPs on microbial biomass, coliform forming units, bacterial metabolic diversity, and antibiotic resistance patterns on the receiving water. In this study, microbial biomass and coliform forming units were significantly higher at the WWTP outfall compared to the reference site. Furthermore, this report revealed significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities in the context of WWTP impact. High nutrient availability at the outfall increased bacterial metabolic diversity and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria. Exposure to effluents polluted water during recreational activities could pose a risk for human health due to ingesting those antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
Recommended Citation
Draper, Madeline; Guta, Amerti; and Akinwole, Philips, "Antibiotic resistance and variability in the physiological profiles of streambed bacterial communities: implication of wastewater treatment plant effluents" (2020). Annual Student Research Poster Session. 36, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/36
Comments
Madeline Draper; Amerti Guta; Philips Akinwole, PhD
Department of Biology, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Supported by: DePauw University Science Research Fellows Program, Douglas A. and Phyllis G. Smith Endowed Fund for Student-Faculty Research, Faculty Development Committee, and Asher Office for Undergraduate Research