Project Grant 84082801

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO CHARACTERIZE EXPOSURE POTENTIALS OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA (ARB) AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT GENES (ARGS) AND CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENT MODELING FRAMEWORK TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF AMR ALLOWING POTENTIAL MITIGATION OPTIONS. THE PROJECT WILL QUANTIFY ARB/ARGS FROM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT AND BIOSOLIDS AND WILL ASSESS THEIR FATE IN SOIL AND AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS AS WELL ASHOW ARB/ARGS ATTENUATE OR AMPLIFY IN THE ENVIROMNENT. RESEARCH FINDINGS WILL BUILD UPON A DATABASE OF ARB/ARG OCCURRENCE AROUND THE WORLD AND WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR WASTEWATER EFFLUENT AND BIOSOLID SOURCES, ACTIVITIES:FIELD STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO MEASURE ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT BACTERIA AND GENE MASS LOADING RANGES IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENTS IN A VARIETY OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE US. WASTEWATER SOURCES OF RESISTANT GENES AND BACTERIA WILL THEN BE COMPARED WITH OTHER SOURCES IN AREAS WITH DIFFERENT WASTEWATER EFFLUENT AND MANAGEMENT APPROACHES. AN AMR-TAILORED HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT WILL THEN BE DEVELOPED TO INFORM MANAGEMENT OPTIONS. STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT TO TRANSLATE RESEARCH FINDINGS INTO ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS. SUBRECIPIENT:VIRGINIA TECH ($990,000 + COST SHARE OF $820,074 + WRF MATCH OF $75,000 FOR THE TOTAL OF $1,885,074) ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ($799,999 + COST SHARE OF $128,242 + WRF MATCH OF $75,000 FOR THE TOTAL OF $1,003,241) AND UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ($275,000 + COST SHARE OF $57,231 + WRF MATCH OF $25,000 FOR THE TOTAL OF $357,321) WILL CONDUCT FIELD SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY ($250,000 + COST SHARE OF $63,166 + WRF MATCH OF $25,000 FOR THE TOTAL OF $338,166) WILL CONDUCT GEOSPATIAL MAPPING AND ANALYSIS.OUTCOMES:EXPECTED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE ANNUAL PROGRESS AND FINAL REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS, AS WELL AS NEW INFORMATION ON ESTIMATED AMPLIFICATION/ATTENUATION/PERSISTENCE RATES OF ARB/ARGS IN RECEIVING WATERS AND SOILS SUBJECT TO LAND-APPLICATION OF BIOSOLIDS. A COMPARISON OF ENVIRONMENTAL METAGENOMIC AND WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING DATA COVERING MULTIPLE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS WILL ALSO BE DEVELOPED ALONG WITH A RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR WASTEWATER SOURCES OF AMR. DATA WILL ALSO BE ENTERED INTO A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATABASE AND SEARCH TOOL FOR ESTIMATING ARB/ARG OUTPUTS FROM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ALONG WITH IDENTIFICATION OF OPERATING CONDITIONS THAT INFLUENCE ARB/ARG LEVELS. REPORTS, PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, AND WEBINARS WILL BE USED TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE END OF THE PROJECT. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROGRAM INCLUDE THE WASTEWATER UTILITIES, STATE AND LOCAL REGULATORS, WATER QUALITY PROGRAM MANAGERS, AND COMMUNITIES EFFECTED BY THE SPREAD OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE DOWNSTREAM OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGES.