Performance of a Constructed Wetland in Reducing Nutrients, Fecal Coliform Bacteria, and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Abstract

The Antibiotic resistance is and has been a prevalent issue in public health in recent years. The bacteria found in medical and clinical settings are not the only relevant sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB); there are genetic reservoirs, called the resistome, in the environment that hold antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and provide ample opportunity for horizontal gene transfer in the environment. Due to these growing challenges and environmental reservoirs for these microbes, new methods for dealing with ABR and ARGs are needed. Both natural and constructed wetlands have shown potential to be effective in reducing antibiotic resistance. When compared to traditional wastewater treatment facilities, constructed wetlands have been shown to be cheaper, more efficient, and better at removing antibiotics and ARGs. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of the Nicholls State University's newly constructed wetland in reducing nutrient and ARB. Water samples were collected once a month for a year in the inlet and outlet of the constructed wetland and analyzed for water chemistry, fecal coliform bacteria, and ARB. The results showed reductions in sulfate, ammonia, total organic carbon, phosphate, nitrate, and fecal coliform bacteria in the water samples of the outlet compared to the inlet. The presence of ARB was noted in both inlet and outlet sites, but ARB and multidrug resistant isolates were less in the outlet samples. The results of this study have demonstrated the efficacy of the constructed assimilation wetland in reducing nutrient load, fecal coliform bacteria, and ARB from the water in Bayou Folse.