Collaborative Research: Relative Abundance and Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Pathogens in Reclaimed Versus Potable Water Distribution Systems

1438328 Pruden1437118 McLain合作研究：再生水与饮用水分配系统中抗生素耐药性基因和病原体的相对丰度和多样性水的可持续性、抗生素耐药性和机会性病原体是三个关键的全球健康挑战。扩大再生水的使用对提高水的可持续性至关重要。然而，在微生物风险和公共卫生方面仍然存在重要的知识差距。研究成果将通过审查现有做法并揭示积极解决公共卫生问题的新的有效管理战略，使参与该项目的自来水公司和缺水地区直接受益。结果将通过同行评议的文献、在水资源专业人士参加的会议上的陈述以及由亚利桑那州大学水资源研究中心赞助的时事通讯和其他途径传播。该项目还将支持亚利桑那州大学的美洲原住民和其他代表性不足的本科生以及弗吉尼亚理工大学的两名研究生，他们将通过全球变化跨学科研究生教育计划接受跨学科培训。更多的本科生研究人员将通过NSF跨学科水科学与工程REU网站和弗吉尼亚理工大学的其他NSF REU网站参与。该项目将成为公共健康和可持续发展关系的一个极好的培训平台，在新兴的元基因组学领域提供培训机会。拟议的研究是对再生水分配系统微生物组的首次全面评估，为深入了解再生水中新出现的令人关注的微生物成分的发生和再生长提供了洞察。综合实验室和现场采样计划将揭示再生水分配系统中物理化学和微生物生态之间的相互作用，该计划包括高通量扩增序列、元基因组学和定量聚合酶链式反应，以及已为饮用水分配系统建立的传统培养和化学方法。该方法将确定关键因素，例如：可同化有机碳水平、消毒剂的存在、消毒剂类型、水龄和温度，这些因素会影响再生水分配系统中新出现的关注的微生物成分，从而为未来的管理指南提供参考。直到最近才被证实，再生水分配系统中的微生物再生长是发达国家水源性疾病的主要来源；然而，尽管合理的预期和初步结果表明，由于营养水平较高、水源水中含有新出现的令人关注的微生物成分以及再生水分配系统在缺水地区运行的细微差别，再生水分配系统的再生长特性相对较差，但由于营养水平较高、源水中含有新出现的令人担忧的微生物成分，再生水分配系统的运行存在细微差别，因此可能会出现更大的问题。如果不加以解决，这些担忧将阻碍再生水的直接利用，并使现有的再生水分配系统实践受到质疑。拟议的努力将解决关键的知识差距，并支持合理设计的水再利用系统，使再生水的好处充分实现，同时保护公众健康。拟议的工作将实现以下目标：O1：进行实验室研究，以检查水处理、营养水平、消毒剂类型、分配系统设计/运行和温度之间的相互作用，以选择再生水分配系统中出现的微生物再生长和新出现的令人担忧的微生物成分；O2：进行现场调查，比较成对再生水分配系统和饮用水分配系统作为处理类型、营养水平、二次消毒剂类型和剂量、分配系统材料和水龄出现的新关注的微生物组成和微生物组成；以及，臭氧：以O1和O2为基础，确定有望最大限度地减少再生水分配系统中新出现的关注的微生物成分的工程实践，以指导未来的设计、管理和安全应用再生水用于非饮用水和饮用水再利用的标准。

1438328Pruden1437118McLainCollaborative Research: Relative Abundance and Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Pathogens in Reclaimed Versus Potable Water Distribution SystemsWater sustainability, antibiotic resistance, and opportunistic pathogens represent three critical global health challenges. Expanding the use of reclaimed water is critical to advancing water sustainability. However, important knowledge gaps remain with respect to microbial risk and public health. Research results will directly benefit the water utilities and water stressed regions participating in this project by vetting existing practices and revealing new and effective management strategies that proactively address public health concerns. Results will be disseminated via peer reviewed literature, presentations at conferences attended by water professionals, and through the newsletter and other avenues sponsored by the Water Resources Research Center at U. Arizona. The project will also support Native American and other underrepresented undergraduate researchers at U. Arizona and two graduate students at Virginia Tech, who will be trained across disciplines through the Interfaces of Global Change Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program. Additional undergraduate researchers will participate through the NSF Interdisciplinary Water Science and Engineering REU site and other NSF REU sites at Virginia Tech. The project will be an excellent training platform at the nexus of public health and sustainability, with training opportunities in the emerging field of metagenomics.The proposed research is the first comprehensive assessment of reclaimed water distribution systems microbiome, providing insight into the occurrence and regrowth of microbial constituents of emerging concern in reclaimed water. The interplay between physico-chemistry and microbial ecology in reclaimed water distribution systems will be revealed using an integrated lab and field sampling plan that includes high throughput amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and quantitative PCR along with traditional culturing and chemical approaches that have been well established for potable water distribution systems. The approach will identify key factors, such as: level of assimilable organic carbon, presence of disinfectant, type of disinfectant, water age, and temperature that influence microbial constituents of emerging concern in reclaimed water distribution systems and thus inform future management guidelines. It has only recently been established that microbial regrowth in reclaimed water distribution systems is the primary source of waterborne disease in developed countries; however, regrowth in reclaimed water distribution systems is relatively uncharacterized, despite reasonable expectations and preliminary results that suggest even greater potential for problems due to higher levels of nutrients, source water containing microbial constituents of emerging concern, and nuances of reclaimed water distribution systems operation in water stressed regions. Left unaddressed, these concerns will impede the direct use of reclaimed water and call into question existing reclaimed water distribution systems practices. The proposed effort will address key knowledge gaps and support rationally engineered water reuse systems that allow the benefits of reclaimed water to be fully realized, while protecting public health. The proposed work will achieve the following Objectives: O1: Conduct a lab study to examine the interplay between water treatment, nutrient level, disinfectant type, distribution system design/operation, and temperature in selecting for microbial regrowth and microbial constituents of emerging concern occurrence in reclaimed water distribution systems; O2: Conduct a field survey comparing the microbiome composition and microbial constituents of emerging concern occurrence of paired reclaimed water distribution systems and potable water distribution systems as a function of kind of treatment, nutrient levels, secondary disinfectant type and dose, distribution system materials, and water age; and, O3: Based on O1 and O2, identify engineering practices that are promising for minimizing the occurrence of microbial constituents of emerging concern in reclaimed water distribution systems to inform future design, management, and standards for safe application of reclaimed water for non-potable and potable reuse.