Association of Antibiotic and Heavy Metal Resistant Bacteria Screened from Wastewater

Authors

  • Bikram Gautam Department of Microbiology, St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal Research Center for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University, Kritipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Rameshwar Adhikari Research Center for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University, Kritipur, Kathmandu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v7i1.21292

Keywords:

Isolates, antibiotic(s), heavy metal(s), resistant, wastewater

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plant is a potential reservoir contributing to the evolution and spread of heavy metal and antibiotic resistant bacteria. The pollutants such as biocides, antibiotics, heavy metals are to be feared for as they have been known to evoke resistance in microorganisms in such polluted environment. The aim of this study was to the isolate bacteria from the treated wastewater and assess the resistance pattern of the isolates against antibiotics and heavy metals. Grab sampling was performed from April to June 2017, from the treated effluent from the secondary treatment plant. To assess the resistance pattern for antibiotic(s) and heavy metal(s), antibiotic susceptibility test and minimum inhibitory concentration by cup well method were performed respectively. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, Salmonella Typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated. Multi drug and heavy metal resistant isolates were screened. Fisher’s exact test revealed that there is a significant association (p< 0.001) between antibiotic resistance pattern and resistance patterns at dilution of 2500 g/L (25%). Cramer’s V test revealed that the effect size of antibiotic resistance pattern and heavy metal resistance pattern at dilution 2500 g/L is medium. P. aeruginosa was able to resist the metal concentration up to 10000 g/L (100%) dilution of Fe++. Heavy metal resistant bacteria can be safely used to lower chemical concentration in the environment once their harmful genes are edited, knocked etc. so that risks of evoking antibiotic resistance could be minimized. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
1366
PDF
593

Downloads

Published

2018-10-12

How to Cite

Gautam, B., & Adhikari, R. (2018). Association of Antibiotic and Heavy Metal Resistant Bacteria Screened from Wastewater. International Journal of Environment, 7(1), 28–40. https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v7i1.21292

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Research Article

License

The author(s) acknowledge that the manuscript submitted is his/her/their own original work; all authors participated in the work in a substantive way and are prepared to take public responsibility for the work; all authors have seen and approved the manuscript as submitted;  the manuscript has not been published and is not being submitted or considered for publication elsewhere; the text, illustrations, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe(plagiarism) upon any existing copyright or other rights of anyone.

Notwithstanding the above, the Contributor(s) or, if applicable the Contributor’s Employer, retain(s) all proprietary rights other than copyright, such as Patent rights; to use, free of charge, all parts of this article for the author’s future works in books, lectures, classroom teaching or oral presentations; the right to reproduce the article for their own purposes provided the copies are not offered for sale.

The copyright to the contribution identified is transferred to IJE.