Antimicrobial resistance is considered one of the most pressing threats to human health worldwide and has firmly established itself as a major public health challenge. In urban environments, wastewater serves as a key reservoir of antibiotic resistance, hosting bacteria from environmental, human, and animal sources, many of which carry antibiotic resistance genes. The role of the environment in spreading antimicrobial resistance is now better recognized, along with the impact of pollutants that may foster resistance in bacteria. Contaminants released by wastewater treatment plants have become a growing concern.
This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of antimicrobial resistance in wastewater treatment, compiling insights from global experts in fields such as microbiology, environmental biotechnology, civil engineering, biochemistry, environmental science, and public health. It delves into topics including the role of the environment in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, chemical analysis of antibiotics in environmental samples, molecular methods to study antimicrobial resistance bacteria and genes, advanced wastewater treatment technologies, the effects of antimicrobial resistance, and the public health implications related to wastewater treatment.
Key features of this book are as follows:
- Explores the public health impacts of antimicrobial resistance with a focus on wastewater treatment.
- Provides detailed biochemical analyses of antibiotics in environmental samples.
- Discusses advanced wastewater treatment processes and their role in mitigating antimicrobial resistance.
- Highlights recent findings on the role of the environment in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
- Examines molecular approaches for studying antimicrobial resistance genes.