Enhanced Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Removal from Wastewater Treatment Plant by Different Disinfection Technologies

Abstract

Based on the removal of total heterotrophic bacteria (HPC) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), including the ampicillin resistant bacteria (AMP), erythromycin resistant bacteria (ERY), tetracycline resistant bacteria (TET), kanamycin resistant bacteria (KAN), and ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria (CIP), this study investigates the enhanced removal performance of ARB by different disinfection technologies. The experimental results showed that ARB removal by ultraviolet (UV) disinfection from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was only 18.2%-40.9% and AMP was the highest in content. ERY could be selectively removed by different disinfection technologies; however, there was no distinguished selective removal performance for other four types of ARB (P<0.05). For ARB, COD and NH4+-N removal, the optimal ozone, chlorination, and UV concentration or dosage were 5.0 mg·L-1, 25.0 mg·L-1, and 45.0 mJ·cm-2, respectively, and the corresponding ARB removal efficiencies were 45.5%-74.5%, 66.1%-85.5%, and 68.6%-85.5%. Furthermore, the combined UV and chlorine treatment could achieve better ARB removal performance.