Wastewater Treatment Plants; Hot Spots of Emerging Contaminants in the Environment

Background and Objective: The Wupa wastewater treatment plant is a major sewage treatment plant in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. While, the Shahe Reservoir treatment plant is a major treatment plant in Beijing, China’s capital. In this study, the quantification of selected antibiotics, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes and physicochemical parameters were assayed for both study areas. Materials and Methods: Samples from both treatment plants were collected for physicochemical and molecular studies. Samples were analyzed for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD). Antibiotic residues were detected by the Solid Phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography Method (SPE-LM). While antibiotics resistance genes were determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: About seventeen different antibiotics were detected with Ciprofloxacin having the highest concentration. Antibiotic resistance genes, Beta-lactam (blaOXA-1), Sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) and mobile genetic element, Class1 integron (Int1) were amplified from both study areas. Conclusion: Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes were confirmed in the study. The intl-1 gene, amplified for samples from both study areas may facilitate the proliferation and propagation of some antibiotic-resistant genes ARGs in this environment and represents public health risks. The need for control of potential ARG contamination is recommended.