Impact of administered drug use on development of environmental antibiotic resistance genes and risk for human exposure

Wasterwater treatment facilities are outlets with major impact on the receiving environment, in particular bacteria that can carry unwanted genes, develop antmicrobial resistance and subsequently be released into the environment and threaten animal and human health. Since the start of the project less than a year ago, we have had online kickoff meetings and several workshops with all partners to allign ourselves in the project. This have been necessary because the project has been delayed in starting for more than a year due to restrictions put on the research council. The extensive workshops have now taken place and we have developed a detailed sampling plan from Oslofjord, Stavanger aera and are working on a plan for Indonesia. We have identified and started sampling of marine species that could potentially carry bacteria with unwanted genes and expose humans, and we are adapting and improving sampling protocolls from another RCN funded project, MarMib, to the IMPACT project. The sampling of species and microplastic biofilms will start this autumn/winter.

Wastewater treatment plants are combining several known antimicrobial resistance drivers in one big melting pot. Residues, but still active antibiotic compounds may act in consort with metal residues and surfaces that promote horisontal gene transfer, namely microplastics. In addition, presence of human bacteria, that could become pathogens given uptake of AMRGs, are prevalent at WWTP due to the nature of sewage. The IMPACT project aims at investigating to what degree this happens under different conditions. We have chosen a comparative approach to a vastly different country, namely Indonesia. Norway and Indonesia obviously face different challenges when it comes to wastewater treatment. Norway have a relative modern wastewater treatment system, bit still faces problems with release of potential damaging agents and potential uptake in the human food chain through maricultures. Indonesia has only a low percentage of treated waste water and also have a different approach to antibiotic usage. In the first phase of the project, we want to decide on relevant sampling sites in Indonesia and Norway that would allow us to sample wastewater over time and describe AMRG drivers and the effects on microbiota. By comparing levels of metals, antibiotic residues and particles for biofilm formation, we will measure the effect on AMRGs presence in the particles and link that to the observed levels of pollutants. Next, we will assess the potential harm to human health by using blue mussels as a model organism for uptake of AMRGs through their filter feeding system. We will also investigate recreational areas, lakes etc. for presence of AMRGs that can be tracked to antibiotic usage.