Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater Treatment Processes Antimicrobial resistance is arguably the greatest threat to worldwide human health. This book evaluates the roles of human water use, treatment and conservation in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Designed as a companion volume to Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), this book is a multi-disciplinary synthesis of topics related to antimicrobial resistance and wastewater treatment processes. Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater Treatment Processes assembles detailed discussions written by many of the world s best-known experts in microbiology, civil engineering, chemistry, environmental science, public health and related fields. The book presents a collection of subjects that includes: * Current knowledge of the role of the environment in development and spread of antimicrobial resistance * Chemical analysis of antibiotics in environmental samples * Molecular methods for analysis of antimicrobial resistance genes * Advanced wastewater treatment processes and antimicrobial resistance effects * Public perception of risk related to health consequences of antimicrobial resistance * Public health implications of antimicrobial resistance with focus on wastewater treatment processes Antimicrobial resistance has gained a foothold in the global consciousness as a serious public health threat. There is a much greater appreciation for the role of the environment in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and the effects of pollutants that can potentially promote development of resistance in bacteria. Contaminants released from wastewater treatment plants are a concern. In Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater Treatment Processes, readers will be guided through examinations of the current science related to this important health issue.

Examines effects of the environmental distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes on human health and the ecosystem

Resistance genes are everywhere in nature--in pathogens, commensals, and environmental microorganisms. This contributed work shows how the environment plays a pivotal role in the development of antimicrobial resistance traits in bacteria and the distribution of resistant microbial species, resistant genetic material, and antibiotic compounds. Readers will discover the impact of the distribution in the environment of antimicrobial resistance genes and antibiotics on both the ecosystem and human and animal health.

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment is divided into four parts:

Part I, Sources, including ecological and clinical consequences of antibiotic resistance by environmental microbes

Part II, Fate, including strategies to assess and minimize the biological risk of antibiotic resistance in the environment

Part III, Antimicrobial Substances and Resistance, including antibiotics in the aquatic environment

Part IV, Effects and Risks, including the effect of antimicrobials used for non-human purposes on human health

Recognizing the intricate links among overlapping complex systems, this book examines antimicrobial resistance using a comprehensive ecosystem approach. Moreover, the book's multidisciplinary framework applies principles of microbiology, environmental toxicology, and chemistry to assess the human and ecological risks associated with exposure to antibiotics or antibiotic resistance genes that are environmental contaminants.

Each chapter has been written by one or more leading researchers in such fields as microbiology, environmental science, ecology, and toxicology. Comprehensive reference lists at the end of all chapters serve as a gateway to the primary research in the field.

Presenting and analyzing the latest findings in a field of growing importance to human and environmental health, this text offers readers new insights into the role of the environment in antimicrobial resistance development, the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant genetic elements, and the transport of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotics.