Antibiotics in synthetic and hospital wastewater, raw and treated on anaerobic reactors: toxic effects on freshwater invertebrates

• Grant number: 20/11042-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2021
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Juliano José Corbi
• Grantee: Gleyson Borges Castro
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/06246-7 - Biorefinery concept applied to biological wastewater treatment plants: environmental pollution control coupled with material and energy recovery, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/12048-7 - Altered motor function in zebrafish larvae exposed to sulfonamide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: behavioral, cellular, and molecular responses, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Antibiotics have been classified as substances of emerging interest and potentially toxic to aquatic biota, due to their high consumption, presence in hospital and domestic effluents, and freshwater. In this scenario, the present project aims to investigate the toxic effects of synthetic wastewater containing 12 antibiotics (7 sulfonamides and 5 fluoroquinolones) and hospital wastewater, on three species of different trophic functions in continental waters: Allonais inaequalis, Chironomus sancticaroli and Daphnia magna. This project is included in the international cooperation entitled "Potential of innovative decentralized wastewater treatment processes for preventing the spread of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, organic micropollutants, pathogens and viruses", in which, universities of Denmark, Portugal, Germany, France, and Spain are involved. Samples of raw and treated effluents on (1) anaerobic fixed-bed and (2) immobilized biomass reactors will be obtained in partnership with researchers from the Laboratory of Biological Processes (LPB-USP). For the selected aquatic species, acute and chronic bioassays will be performed using synthetic and hospital wastewater in the following dilution proportions: 1; 6; 12.5; 25; 50 and 100%. In the first stage, samples of the raw and treated synthetic effluents will be obtained from reactors 1 and 2 in different hydraulic detention times: 16, 12 and, 8 h. In the second stage, the toxicity bioassays will be carried out using samples of raw hospital effluent and treated in a reactor (1 or 2, depending on removal efficiencies in the first stage). In A. inaequalis, the effects on mortality (acute effect) and reproduction (chronic effect) will be investigated. For C. sancticaroli, the responses analyzed will be mortality, body length, menta deformities, effects on rates and emergence times, sex ratio, potential fecundity, and geometric morphometry of the wings. In D. magna, the effects on immobility, longevity, reproduction (number and time of broods, production of neonates), molting process and body length will be studied. These animals will be cultivated at the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory (LEAA-USP) and will be kept according to methodologies described in the specific literature. Sensitivity tests will be performed in parallel to the exposures to validate the health of the individuals. Based on the results obtained in the bioassays and applied statistical analyzes, this project will contribute to better understand the impact of antibiotics and hospital wastewater on invertebrate species occurring in freshwater, as well as responding to the scientific gap related to the level of ecotoxicological safety of effluents containing pharmaceutical compounds, especially antibiotics. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CASTRO, GLEYSON B.; ALEXANDRE, DAVID S.; BERNEGOSSI, ALINE C.; BEZERRA, YOHANNA A. F.; FONSECA, MATEUS C.; ZAIAT, MARCELO; CORBI, JULIANO J.. Long-term exposure of Allonais inaequalis to a mixture of antibiotics in freshwater and synthetic wastewater matrices: Reproduction, recovery, and swimming responses. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH, v. 96, n. 3, p. 18-pg., 2024-03-01. (15/06246-7, 20/11042-0, 20/15087-8, 22/12048-7)

BERNEGOSSI, ALINE CHRISTINE; CASTRO, GLEYSON BORGES; FELIPE, MAYARA CAROLINE; DE SOUZA, TALLYSON TAVARES CUNHA; MACEDO, WILLIANE VIEIRA; GORNI, GUILHERME ROSSI; CORBI, JULIANO JOSE. Anaerobic treatment removing tetrabromobisphenol A and biota safety: How do tropical aquatic species respond to effluent toxicity over short- and long-term exposures?. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH, v. 96, n. 6, p. 19-pg., 2024-06-01. (15/06246-7, 20/11042-0, 18/21901-0, 18/17744-6)

CUNHA DE SOUZA, TALLYSON TAVARES; CASTRO, GLEYSON BORGES; BERNEGOSSI, ALINE CHRISTINE; FELIPE, MAYARA CAROLINE; PINHEIRO, FERNANDA RODRIGUES; COLOMBO-CORBI, VANESSA; GIROLLI, DOUGLAS APARECIDO; GORNI, GUILHERME ROSSI; CORBI, JULIANO JOSE. Pristina longiseta reproduction test: chronic exposure to environmental contaminants. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2022-11-03. (20/11042-0, 20/09912-6)