An Overview of Microbial Source Tracking Using Host-Specific Genetic Markers to Identify Origins of Fecal Contamination in Different Water Environments

Fecal contamination of water constitutes a serious health risk to humans and environmental ecosystems. This is mainly due to the fact that fecal material carries a variety of enteropathogens, which can enter and circulate in water bodies through fecal pollution. In this respect, the prompt identification of the polluting source(s) is pivotal to guiding appropriate target-specific remediation actions. Notably, microbial source tracking (MST) is widely applied to determine the host origin(s) contributing to fecal water pollution through the identification of zoogenic and/or anthropogenic sources of fecal environmental DNA (eDNA). A wide array of host-associated molecular markers have been developed and exploited for polluting source attribution in various aquatic ecosystems. This review is intended to provide the most up-to-date overview of genetic marker-based MST studies carried out in different water types, such as freshwaters (including surface and groundwaters) and seawaters (from coasts, beaches, lagoons, and estuaries), as well as drinking water systems. Focusing on the latest scientific progress/achievements, this work aims to gain updated knowledge on the applicability and robustness of using MST for water quality surveillance. Moreover, it also provides a future perspective on advancing MST applications for environmental research.publishedVersio

Kildesporing av fekal vannforurensning i området rundt Hunnebunn, Fredrikstad kommune Fekale forurensningskilder i Vispen badeplass og noen bekker rundt Hunnebunn

Denne rapporten er skrevet på oppdrag fra Fredrikstad kommune i forbindelse med prosjektet «Kildesporing av fekal vannforurensning: Fekal kildesporing i vannprøvene analysert for Fredrikstad kommune i 2019». Formålet med prosjektet var primært å benytte molekylærbiologiske metoder for sporing av fekale forurensningskilder i Vispen badeplass og noen bekker rundt Hunnebunn.publishedVersio

Faecal pollution affects abundance and diversity of aquatic microbial community in anthropo-zoogenically influenced lotic ecosystems

The aquatic microbiota is known to be an important factor in the sustainability of the natural water ecosystems. However, the microbial community also might include pathogens, which result in very serious waterborne diseases in humans and animals. Faecal pollution is the major cause of these diseases. Therefore, it is of immense importance to assess the potential impact of faecal pollution, originating from both anthropogenic and zoogenic sources, on the profile of microbial communities in natural water environments. To this end, the microbial taxonomic diversity of lotic ecosystems in different regions of Norway, representing urban and rural areas, exposed to various levels of faecal pollution, was investigated over the course of a 1-year period. The highest microbial diversity was found in rural water that was the least faecally polluted, while the lowest was found in urban water with the highest faecal contamination. The overall diversity of the aquatic microbial community was significantly reduced in severely polluted water. In addition, the community compositions diverged between waters where the dominant pollution sources were of anthropogenic or zoogenic origin. The results provide new insight into the understanding of how faecal water contamination, specifically that of different origins, influences the microbial diversity of natural waters.publishedVersio

Kildesporing av fekal vannforurensing i tilløpsbekkene til Jonsvannet

NIBIO ble engasjert av Vikelvdalen Vannbehandlingsanlegg til å utføre en undersøkelse gjennom et prosjekt på kildesporing av fekal vannforurensing i tilløpsbekker til Jonsvannet (dvs. Jervbekken, Valsetbekken, Lykkjbekken og Sagelva) og i tillegg i en kontrollprøve fra utløp i Jonsvannsveien. Formålet med prosjektet var primært å benytte molekylærbiologiske metoder for sporing av fekale forurensningskilder og å definere hvor i nedbørfeltet fekal forurensing fra mennesker, drøvtyggere og hester dominerer. Resultatene fra prosjektet viser at fekal forurensing med E. coli ble funnet i de fleste ferskvannsprøver tatt ut fra Valsetbekken, Jervbekken og Sagelva. Også, ble E. coli påvist i alle prøver fra Lykkjbekken og fra utløp i Jonsvannsveien. I tillegg viste resultatene en lik trend som ble observert gjennom tester av alle vannprøvene, dvs. et klart bidrag i fekal forurensingen fra mennesker i den kalde perioden (generelt forsommeren og forvinteren) og høyest bidraget fra dyr (særlig drøvtyggere) i den varme perioden (generelt juni - september 2015)

Effective removal of antibiotic resistance genes from wastewater using marine waste-derived novel nanocomposites

Wastewater (WW) has been identified as a major hotspot of microbial emerging contaminants (MECs), such as antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Currently used WW treatment methods cannot efficiently eliminate these pollutants, resulting in passive contamination of adjacent environments receiving undertreated discharge. More effective WW treatment strategies are therefore urgently required. In this study, newly developed and well-characterised semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels derived from the valorisation of marine wastes (e.g., shrimp shells) were investigated for their ARG removal potential. The results indicated that multiple ARGs prevalent in WW, such as ermB, qrnS, sul1 and tetO, were removed by up to 100% after being treated by novel hydrogels. In terms of horizontal gene transfer-associated genetic elements, such as integron-1 intl1, transposons tnpA1 (IS4 group) and tnpA2 (IS6 group), substantial reduction approaching 99.9% was also achieved. Moreover, up to 97% of efflux pump-associated qacE∆1 conferring multidrug resistance (MR) was successfully attenuated. To conclude, the semi-INP hydrogels developed exhibited great potential for ARG mitigation towards strengthening WW decontamination, which provides a viable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly novel treatment approach.publishedVersio

Spredt avløp i jordbrukslandskapet - Fosfor og E. coli i jordbruksbekker

I de fleste kommuner er det gjort en gjennomgang og gitt pålegg om rensing av avløp både for kommunalt og spredt avløp. Likevel observeres det i en del bekker i jordbrukslandskapet høye konsentrasjoner av E. coli fra spredt avløp. Samtidig blir det også i noen tilfeller målt høye konsentrasjoner av næringsstoffer ved lav vannføring, noe som også kan tyde på at det er utslipp fra punktkilder i landskapet. Dette prosjektet har kartlagt spredt avløp i åtte JOVA-nedbørfelt, utført beregninger på fosfortilførsler fra disse nedbørfeltene, og prioritert egnet nedbørfelt for videre mikrobielle analyser for å belyse hva som er kilden til mikrobiell forurensing. Studiet viser at andel gjennomsnittlig årlig tilførsel av fosfor fra spredt avløp var mellom 1 % og 5 % i syv av åtte nedbørfelt, mens det var hele 19 % i et av nedbørfeltene. Andelen fosfor fra spredt avløp kan være betydelig i tørre perioder av året, eksempelvis om sommeren. Studiet har også påvist fekal forurensing fra både spredte avløpsanlegg, hester og drøvtyggere i det feltet hvor dette ble undersøkt.publishedVersio

Introducing Semi-Interpenetrating Networks of Chitosan and Ammonium-Quaternary Polymers for the Effective Removal of Waterborne Pathogens from Wastewaters

The present work aims to study the influence of ammonium-quaternary monomers and chitosan, obtained from different sources, upon the effect of semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels upon the removal of waterborne pathogens and bacteria from wastewater. To this end, the study was focused on using vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride (VBTAC), a water-soluble monomer with known antibacterial properties, and mineral-enriched chitosan extracted from shrimp shells, to prepare the semi-IPNs. By using chitosan, which still contains the native minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), the study intends to justify that the stability and efficiency of the semi-IPN bactericidal devices can be modified and better improved. The new semi-IPNs were characterized for composition, thermal stability and morphology using well-known methods. Swelling degree (SD%) and the bactericidal effect assessed using molecular methods revealed that hydrogels made of chitosan derived from shrimp shell demonstrated the most competitive and promising potential for wastewater (WW) treatment.Introducing Semi-Interpenetrating Networks of Chitosan and Ammonium-Quaternary Polymers for the Effective Removal of Waterborne Pathogens from WastewaterspublishedVersio

Antibiotic application and resistance in swine production in China: current situation and future perspectives

To meet increasing demand for animal protein, swine have been raised in large Chinese farms widely, using antibiotics as growth promoter. However, improper use of antibiotics has caused serious environmental and health risks, in particular Antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This paper reviews the consumption of antibiotics in swine production as well as AMR and the development of novel antibiotics or alternatives in China. The estimated application of antibiotics in animal production in China accounted for about 84240 tons in 2013. Overuse and abuse of antibiotics pose a great health risk to people through food-borne antibiotic residues and selection for antibiotic resistance. China unveiled a national plan to tackle antibiotic resistance in August 2016, but more support is needed for the development of new antibiotics or alternatives like plant extracts. Antibiotic resistance has been a major global challenge, so international collaboration between China and Europe is needed

Successful Production and Ligninolytic Activity of a Bacterial Laccase, Lac51, Made in Nicotiana benthamiana via Transient Expression

Giant panda could have bamboo as their exclusive diet for about 2 million years because of the contribution of numerous enzymes produced by their gut bacteria, for instance laccases. Laccases are blue multi-copper oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of a broad spectrum of phenolic and aromatic compounds with water as the only byproduct. As a “green enzyme,” laccases have potential in industrial applications, for example, when dealing with degradation of recalcitrant biopolymers, such as lignin. In the current study, a bacterial laccase, Lac51, originating from Pseudomonas putida and identified in the gut microbiome of the giant panda’s gut was transiently expressed in the non-food plant Nicotiana benthamiana and characterized. Our results show that recombinant Lac51 exhibits bacterial laccase properties, with optimal pH and temperature at 7–8 and 40°C, respectively, when using syringaldazine as substrate. Moreover, we demonstrate the functional capability of the plant expressed Lac51 to oxidize lignin using selected lignin monomers that serve as substrates of Lac51. In summary, our study demonstrates the potential of green and non-food plants as a viable enzyme production platform for bacterial laccases. This result enriches our understanding of plant-made enzymes, as, to our knowledge, Lac51 is the first functional recombinant laccase produced in plants.publishedVersio

Cross-tracking of faecal pollution origins, macronutrients, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in rural and urban watercourses

This study describes microbial and chemical source tracking approaches for water pollution in rural and urban catchments. Culturable faecal indicator bacteria, represented by Escherichia coli, were quantified. Microbial source tracking (MST) using host-specific DNA markers was applied to identify the origins of faecal contamination. Chemical source tracking (CST) was conducted to determine contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) of human/anthropogenic origin, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In addition, the eutrophication-causing macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus were studied. MST tests revealed both anthropogenic and zoogenic faecal origins, with a dominance of human sources in the urban stream; non-human/environmental sources were prevalent in the rural creek. CST analyses revealed a higher number of CECs in the urban stream than in the rural watercourse. Positive correlations between PPCPs and both E. coli and the human DNA marker were uncovered in the urban stream, while in the rural creek, PPCPs were only highly correlated with the anthropogenic marker. Interestingly, macronutrients were strongly associated with primary faecal pollution origins in both watercourses. This correlation pattern determines the main pollutant contributors (anthropogenic or zoogenic) to eutrophication.publishedVersio