摘要

       生活废水排放可能会对北极生态系统和当地土著人民产生不利影响，他们依赖于能够从当地环境中狩猎和收获食物。因此，需要开发高效的污水处理厂 (WWTP)，使其能够在极端气候条件下的偏远社区运行。污水处理厂已被确定为抗生素抗性基因 (ARG) 的储存库。这项工作的目的是量化两个被动系统中九个不同 ARG 标记（int1、sul1、sul2、tet(O)、erm(B)、mecA、blaCTX-M、blaTEM 和 qnr(S)）的存在（废物稳定池 [WSP]）和一个机械过滤厂，分别在加拿大努纳武特的两个较小社区和一个大型社区中运行。水质参数（含碳需氧量、氨、总悬浮固体、大肠杆菌和总大肠菌群）的测量表明，污水处理厂仅提供初级处理。在流出物中观察到低水平的 ARG（2 log 拷贝/mL），表明居住在三个北部污水处理厂的细菌携带 ARG，从而赋予对多种临床相关抗生素类别的抗性。我们的结果表明，在 WSP 中长期储存有利于去除有机材料和一些 ARG。然而，一个 WSP 系统显示了 sul1、sul2、mecA、tet(O) 和 qnr(S) 富集的证据。需要进一步研究以充分了解这些 ARG 释放是否对人类健康构成威胁，尤其是在传统狩猎和捕鱼活动的背景下。

       Domestic wastewater discharges may adversely impact arctic ecosystems and local indigenous people, who rely on being able to hunt and harvest food from their local environment. Therefore, there is a need to develop efficient wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which can be operated in remote communities under extreme climatic conditions. WWTPs have been identified as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The objective of this work was to quantify the presence of nine different ARG markers (int1, sul1, sul2, tet(O), erm(B), mecA, blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and qnr(S)) in two passive systems (waste stabilization ponds [WSPs]) and one mechanical filtration plant operating in two smaller and one large community, respectively, in Nunavut, Canada. Measurement of water quality parameters (carbonaceous oxygen demand, ammonia, total suspended solids, Escherichia coli and total coliforms) showed that the WWTPs provided only primary treatment. Low levels of the ARGs (2 log copies/mL) were observed in the effluent, demonstrating that bacteria residing in three northern WWTPs harbour ARGs conferring resistance to multiple clinically-relevant classes of antibiotics. Our results indicate that long-term storage in WSPs benefitted removal of organic material and some ARGs. However, one WSP system showed evidence of the enrichment of sul1, sul2, mecA, tet(O) and qnr(S). Further research is needed to fully understand if these ARG releases pose a risk to human health, especially in the context of traditional hunting and fishing activities.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969717309944