Skip to content
University of Maryland LibrariesDigital Repository at the University of Maryland
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    EVALUATION OF ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA IN TERTIARY TREATED WASTEWATER, RECLAIMED WASTEWATER USED FOR SPRAY IRRIGATION, AND RESULTING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Goldstein_umd_0117N_11346.pdf (7.003Mb)
    No. of downloads: 3783

    Date
    2010
    Author
    Goldstein, Rachel Elizabeth Rosenberg
    Advisor
    Sapkota, Amy R
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Occupational exposures to vancomycin-resistant <italic>Enterococcus</italic> (VRE) and methicillin-resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> (MRSA) in reclaimed wastewater used for spray irrigation were evaluated. In 2009, wastewater was collected from a tertiary-treatment facility, and reclaimed wastewater, nasal and dermal swab samples from an irrigation site. Samples were evaluated for MRSA and VRE using standard methods, PCR, and susceptibility testing. MRSA and VRE were isolated from all wastewater samples except effluent. While wastewater MRSA isolates were multidrug resistant (98%), no MRSA was isolated in irrigation water or swabs. VRE was isolated in one irrigation water sample. Fewer irrigation workers were colonized with <italic>S. aureus</italic> (31%) compared to controls (46%), but they harbored more multidrug resistant <italic>S. aureus</italic>. This is the first study to 1) evaluate antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in U.S. reclaimed wastewater and resulting occupational exposures, and 2) detect MRSA in U.S. wastewater. The findings suggested that tertiary wastewater treatment effectively reduced MRSA and VRE.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10484
    Collections
    • Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health Theses and Dissertations
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DRUMCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister
    Pages
    About DRUMAbout Download Statistics

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility