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Holistic assessment of chemical and biological pollutants in a Mediterranean wastewater effluent-dominated stream: Interactions and ecological impacts
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Researchers conducted a comprehensive assessment of pollution downstream from a wastewater treatment plant discharge into a Mediterranean river in Spain. They found elevated levels of pharmaceuticals, metals, microplastics, PFAS chemicals, and antibiotic resistance genes below the discharge point, though some recovery occurred within about 500 meters downstream. The study demonstrates that even treated wastewater significantly alters river water quality and microbial communities, highlighting the need for improved treatment technologies.
The discharge of treated wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into river systems is a significant source of pollution, introducing a range of chemical and biological pollutants that impact the chemical and ecological quality status of rivers. This study evaluates the effect of a secondary treated wastewater effluent on the Onyar River, in the northeast of Spain. Water and biofilm samples were collected at one upstream and four downstream sampling points (up to 2.8 km from the discharge point) across four seasons. A wide array of pollutants, including metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics (MPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), among other emerging pollutants, were detected downstream, with significant differences between upstream and downstream concentrations. Our results show that WWTP discharge also altered biofilm microbiome composition and ARGs presence, being these changes distinguishable from seasonal variations. Nevertheless, a partial recovery further downstream (525 m) was observed for biofilm microbiome and ARGs composition. These findings highlight the value of microbiome analysis in assessing wastewater impacts on river ecosystems and emphasize the need for further research to improve pollutant attenuation and biofilm recovery strategies in river streams.
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Occurrence of microplastics at Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Guadalete-Barbate river basin (Cadiz, Spain).
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Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence at wastewater treatment plants in the Guadalete-Barbate river basin in Spain, finding microplastics at all stages of treatment and in final effluent. The study identifies these wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic release into this Mediterranean river basin.
Antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in the plastisphere in wastewater treatment plant effluent: Health risk quantification and driving mechanism interpretation
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Researchers found that microplastics in treated wastewater carry significantly more disease-causing bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors on their surfaces compared to the surrounding water. This means microplastics released from wastewater treatment plants into rivers and lakes could spread antibiotic-resistant infections, posing a direct risk to communities that rely on these water sources.
Sewage reclamation process as multifactorial public health risk concern: a longitudinal study.
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This year-long study analyzed influent, effluent, and biosolids from six Spanish wastewater treatment plants, identifying persistent emerging risks including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes throughout the treatment process.
Wastewater discharges and polymer type modulate the riverine plastisphere and set the role of microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antibiotic resistance
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Researchers investigated how wastewater treatment plant discharges and polymer type shape microbial communities on microplastics in a river environment. They found that microplastics harbored significantly higher microbial diversity than surrounding water, and that wastewater discharges led to a 2.3-fold increase in antibiotic resistance gene abundance on the plastic surfaces. Different polymer types, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET, each attracted distinct microbial communities with varying levels of pathogens and resistance genes.
Spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in a Mediterranean river catchment: The importance of wastewater as an environmental pathway
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Microplastic concentrations were mapped across a Mediterranean river catchment in central Spain over multiple seasons, finding that wastewater treatment plant effluents were the dominant point source and that storm events transiently increased concentrations in downstream reaches by mobilizing accumulated particles from river beds and floodplains.
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