Antibiotic resistance in European wastewater treatment plants mirrors the pattern of clinical antibiotic resistance prevalence

Integrated antibiotic resistance (AR) surveillance is one of the objectives of the World Health Organization global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. Urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) are among the most important receptors and sources of environmental AR. On the basis of the consistent observation of an increasing north-to-south clinical AR prevalence in Europe, this study compared the influent and final effluent of 12 UWTPs located in seven countries (Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Finland, and Norway). Using highly parallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed 229 resistance genes and 25 mobile genetic elements. This first trans-Europe surveillance showed that UWTP…

• EP
  Environmental Protection Agency

  Award: WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE
• RP
  Research Promotion Foundation

  Award: WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE
• AO
  Academy of Finland

  Award: WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE
• BF
  Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

  Award: WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE
• MD
  Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España

  Award: WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE
• FP
  Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

  Awards: SFRH/BPD/87360/2012, WaterJPI/0001/2013 STARE, SFRH/BD/97131/2013, IF/00492/2013