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JPIWATER-Water challenges for a changing world

JPI WAter StARE - Stopping Antibiotic Resistance Evolution

Awarded: NOK 1.6 mill.

JPI WAter StARE had its kick-off Meeting in Girona, Spain 28. og 29. January 2015. The partners from the various European countries participating met to prepare coordinated sampling procedures and dates for sampling from sewage plants in the various countries on the same day. The analysis for occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, drug resistance genes and remnants of antibiotics were evaluated and discussed. In addition it was made practical training in the laboratory in how the samples should be taken, handled in the laboratory, read and reported. In addition it was prepared how the special platform laboratories located with the various partners should receive the prepared material from the samplings for their further analysis. The samplings were performed on three successive days in March and October 2015 and in March and September 2016 at the location of our Norwegian partner Vestfjordens avløpsselskap that is the largest sewage plant in Norway located South of Slemmestad in the Inner Oslofjord. Cultivation of bacteria, resistance testing and preparation of subsamples for further shipping to the other Partners were performed coordinated among all the Partners in the eight participating European countries. The results are collected and koordinated through the Portugese Project leader.In total, 12 samples were collected from the final effluent (24 h composite samples) and 6 from the raw wastewater of 11 wastewater treatment plants and located in Portugal (2), Spain (1), Ireland (1) Germany (2), Finland (2), Norway (1) Cyprus (2), by 8 partners. Samples were processed according to common protocols for the analyses of culturable bacteria (total and antibiotic resistant) and some metals, performed by each partner, more than 50 antibiotic residues, performed by the partner ICRA based on extracts obtained in each sampling partner and more than 200 antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), based on triplicate DNA extracts obtained in each sampling partner, being the analyses performed through qPCR array conducted in an external partner in the State University of Michigan (responsibility of Jim Tiedje). It was agreed among partners that data disclosure will be made in a joint publication of all partners involved in these studies. These data will be completed over the next year. Over the project period the effluent water from 11 sewage treatment plants throughout Europe was analyzed for occurrence of 53 different antibiotics and 296 antibiotic resistance genes or genes that moves DNA between bacteria. The effect on antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistant bacteria bacterial communities downstream innovative and advanced sewage water treatment was studied. The results acquired were discussed in a project meeting in Frankfurt 2. And 3. May 2017. The results were then presented at the "4th International Symposium on the Environmental Dimension of Antibiotic resistance", Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA. The results verify that the consumption of antibiotic drugs in the population as documented by figures from national sale and consumption statistics is mirrored in the finding of antibiotic residues in the sewage water. There is also a connection between detection of antibiotic residues in the sewage water and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance related genes in the same sewage water. The results demonstrate that the situation in Norwegian sewage water with respect of antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance related bacterial genes is among the best in the European context as the results in this projects points to. These are important findings, not at least for Norway and support well the strict policy of antibiotic usage that exists already in Norwegian health care and within animal husbandry. This is one of the first studies that demonstrates such a strong systematic relation between the extent of the use of antibiotics and the impact on the environment through the sewage water. The project will be a good reference to support continued prevention of development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria in the broad societal context. The results will be further analyzed and evaluated and there will be a final meeting in the StARE project 8. February 2018 when all the Partners have finalized their work related to the project. There will be at least one scientific peer-reviewed publication from work package 2 in the project in which the Norwegian part of the project is anchored. The sharing of the results with the public and stakeholders will hopefully contribute to the mitigation of the spread on antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, the data, knowledge and technology developed under the scope of StARE may represent valid contributions for possible revisions of EU legislation.

The goal of StARE (Stopping Antibiotic Resistance Evolution) is to protect European citizens? health and the environment via water quality research, aimed at minimizing the impact of discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) and sustaining safe water cycles. According to WHO, antibiotic resistance is a global human health threat driven by many interconnected factors, where water plays a key role. UWTPs are a major source of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antib iotic resistance genes (ARG) released into the environment, thus representing crucial control points for efficient technological interventions. ARB&G are well characterized clinically but the occurrence in aquatic environments, relation to regional antibi otic uses or temporal/geographical variations are poorly understood. StARE will investigate a large number of European UWTPs to evaluate ARB&G abundance versus chemical contamination and regional backgrounds. Guidelines for ARB&G monitoring in water will be developed. The efficiency, impact and cost-effectiveness of advanced wastewater technologies will be evaluated, based on an innovative biological risk control strategy. This will integrate chemical and biological contaminants, such as priority hazardou s substances, pathogenic bacteria and viruses, ARB&Gs, and mobile genetic elements. The multidisciplinary StARE team is based on a previous European collaboration supported by the COST Action TD 0803. The Action brought together experts in genetics, micro biology, public health, chemistry and engineering and identified the major gaps in knowledge and the measures necessary to limit the spread of ARB&G. The StARE work will fill these gaps and contribute to the protection of the environment, water and the fo od chain from contaminations. It will also support the revision of EU water directives, aimed at maintaining ecosystem services and public health protection.

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JPIWATER-Water challenges for a changing world