Occurrence and fate of antibiotic resistant bacteria in sewage

Table 4.3.
Average percentages (%) of antibiotic-resistant coliforms and acinetobacters in raw sewage, treated sewage and digested sludge determined by counts on media countaining antibiotics.

 

Antibiotica

Avedøre plant

Lynetten plant

coliforms

acinetobacters

coliforms

acinetobacters

Raw sewage

Treated Sewage

Digested Sludge

Raw sewage

Treated sewage

Digested sludge

Raw sewage

Treated sewage

Digested sludge

Raw sewage

Treated sewage

Digested sludge

Ampicillin

51.4

60.3

34.2b

47.2

27.0a

20.0b

47.7

50.5

38.5

18.2

22.3

12.2

Gentamicin

1.4

1.8

1.1c

3.9

7.2

5.5

3.3

3.1

1.7

3.4

5.8

3.8

Tetracycline

2.0

2.2

3.7

10.8

11.5

4.3

4.9

2.2

3.2

12.3

12.9

16.7

All antibiotics

0.1

-c

0.3

0.1

-c

0.3

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.1

a The percentage of resistant bacteria in treated sewage was significantly lower than in raw sewage (P<0.05).
b The percentage of resistant bacteria in digested sludge was significantly lower than in raw sewage (P<0.05).
c Multiple resistance to ampicillin, gentamicin and tetracycline was not detected in treated sewage from Avedøre.