Inactivation and regrowth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by PAA disinfection in the secondary effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Inactivation and microbial regrowth of penicillin-, ampicillin-, cefalexin-, tetracycline-, chloramphenicol-, and rifampicin-resistant bacteria were studied to explore risks associated with selection and regrowth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria after PAA disinfection. The results showed that after exposure to 20 mg/L PAA for 10 min, inactivation of ampicillin-resistant bacteria reached 2.3-log, which was significantly higher than that of total heterotrophic bacteria with a decrease of 2.0-log. In contrast, inactivation of tetracycline- resistant bacteria was significantly less efficient, reaching only 1.1-log. Chloramphenicol-and tetracycline-resistant bacteria, as well as total heterotrophic bacteria regrew more than 10 fold compared to those in the untreated wastewater sample with 22 h stilling culture after exposure to 2 or 5 mg/L PAA as for 10 min. Selection and potential regrowth of tetracycline-and chloramphenicol-resistant bacteria are potential risks when utilizing PAA disinfection, which may induce the spread of specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria in reclaimed water.