Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges
With 40 million annual passenger flights, airports are key hubs for microbial communities from diverse geographic origins to converge, mix, and distribute. Wastewater derived from airports and aircraft represent both a potential route for the global dispersion of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organi...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500011X |
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| author | Margaret E. Knight Kata Farkas Matthew Wade Gordon Webster Daniel A. Pass William Perry Peter Kille Andrew Singer Davey L. Jones |
| author_facet | Margaret E. Knight Kata Farkas Matthew Wade Gordon Webster Daniel A. Pass William Perry Peter Kille Andrew Singer Davey L. Jones |
| author_sort | Margaret E. Knight |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With 40 million annual passenger flights, airports are key hubs for microbial communities from diverse geographic origins to converge, mix, and distribute. Wastewater derived from airports and aircraft represent both a potential route for the global dispersion of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organisms and an under-utilised resource for strengthening global AMR surveillance. This study investigates the abundance and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater samples collected from airport terminals (n = 132), aircraft (n = 25), and a connected wastewater treatment plant (n = 11) at three international airports in the UK (London Heathrow, Edinburgh and Bristol). A total of 76 ARGs were quantified using high throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR) while a subset of samples (n = 30) was further analysed by metagenomic sequencing. Our findings reveal that aircraft wastewater resistomes were compositionally distinct from those observed at airport terminals, despite their similar diversity. Notably, flights originating from Asia and Africa carried a higher number of unique ARGs compared to those from Europe and North America. However, clustering of the ARG profile displayed no overall association with geography. Edinburgh terminal and pumping station wastewater had compositionally comparable resistomes to that of the connected urban wastewater treatment plant, though further research is needed to determine the relative contributions of the local population and international travellers. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of AMR in wastewater from both aircraft and terminals across multiple international airports. Our results highlight aircraft wastewater as a potential route for cross-border AMR transmission and a valuable tool for global AMR surveillance. However, the findings also underscore the limitations and need for standardised approaches for AMR monitoring in airport environments, to effectively mitigate the global spread of AMR and enhance public health surveillance strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-22554fc2bd1c46edbebfdaa948bfd114 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj-art-22554fc2bd1c46edbebfdaa948bfd1142025-01-24T04:44:16ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-01-01195109260Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challengesMargaret E. Knight0Kata Farkas1Matthew Wade2Gordon Webster3Daniel A. Pass4William Perry5Peter Kille6Andrew Singer7Davey L. Jones8School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK; Corresponding author at: School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK.School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK; Verily Life Sciences LLC., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United StatesUK Health Security Agency, London E14 4PU, UKMicrobiomes, Microbes and Informatics Group, Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Museum Avenue, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UKCompass Bioinformatics, 17 Habershon Street, Cardif, CF24 2DU, Wales, UKMicrobiomes, Microbes and Informatics Group, Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Museum Avenue, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UKMicrobiomes, Microbes and Informatics Group, Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Museum Avenue, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UKUK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UKSchool of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK; Verily Life Sciences LLC., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United StatesWith 40 million annual passenger flights, airports are key hubs for microbial communities from diverse geographic origins to converge, mix, and distribute. Wastewater derived from airports and aircraft represent both a potential route for the global dispersion of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organisms and an under-utilised resource for strengthening global AMR surveillance. This study investigates the abundance and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater samples collected from airport terminals (n = 132), aircraft (n = 25), and a connected wastewater treatment plant (n = 11) at three international airports in the UK (London Heathrow, Edinburgh and Bristol). A total of 76 ARGs were quantified using high throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR) while a subset of samples (n = 30) was further analysed by metagenomic sequencing. Our findings reveal that aircraft wastewater resistomes were compositionally distinct from those observed at airport terminals, despite their similar diversity. Notably, flights originating from Asia and Africa carried a higher number of unique ARGs compared to those from Europe and North America. However, clustering of the ARG profile displayed no overall association with geography. Edinburgh terminal and pumping station wastewater had compositionally comparable resistomes to that of the connected urban wastewater treatment plant, though further research is needed to determine the relative contributions of the local population and international travellers. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of AMR in wastewater from both aircraft and terminals across multiple international airports. Our results highlight aircraft wastewater as a potential route for cross-border AMR transmission and a valuable tool for global AMR surveillance. However, the findings also underscore the limitations and need for standardised approaches for AMR monitoring in airport environments, to effectively mitigate the global spread of AMR and enhance public health surveillance strategies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500011XWastewater based epidemiologyCross-border transmissionGlobal biosecurityOne healthPublic health surveillanceTransboundary passenger movement |
| spellingShingle | Margaret E. Knight Kata Farkas Matthew Wade Gordon Webster Daniel A. Pass William Perry Peter Kille Andrew Singer Davey L. Jones Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges Environment International Wastewater based epidemiology Cross-border transmission Global biosecurity One health Public health surveillance Transboundary passenger movement |
| title | Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| title_full | Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| title_fullStr | Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| title_short | Wastewater-based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at UK airports: Evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| title_sort | wastewater based analysis of antimicrobial resistance at uk airports evaluating the potential opportunities and challenges |
| topic | Wastewater based epidemiology Cross-border transmission Global biosecurity One health Public health surveillance Transboundary passenger movement |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500011X |
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