Abstract Title

Beyond toxic cyanobacteria: Increased Legionella, antibiotic resistance genes and disinfection-byproducts in western Lake Erie water

Start Date

23-5-2022 5:45 PM

End Date

23-5-2022 7:00 PM

Abstract

Western Lake Erie has chronic cyanobacterial blooms and the need to understand emerging public health issues is paramount. This study focused on disinfection byproducts, and dynamics of Legionella and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their associations with Microcystis blooms. For this, weekly source water and finished water were obtained from two drinking water plants in western (bloom) and central Lake Erie (control) for two years. The bloom site showed significantly higher levels of microcystin (MC)-producing Microcystis and MCs in the source water than the control site (pLegionella spp. concentrations were significantly higher from the bloom site than the control site (pLegionella spp. was observed in the bloom site (F=89.82, p=0.001), but not in the control site (F=0.31, p=0.5814). The abundance ARGs and mobile genetic elements were significantly higher from the bloom sites. Our results provide new insights into emerging environmental and health impact, beyond the bloom toxicity. Co-exposure of cyanotoxin together with Legionella as well as ARG-related risks should be considered in future studies.

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May 23rd, 5:45 PM May 23rd, 7:00 PM

Beyond toxic cyanobacteria: Increased Legionella, antibiotic resistance genes and disinfection-byproducts in western Lake Erie water

Western Lake Erie has chronic cyanobacterial blooms and the need to understand emerging public health issues is paramount. This study focused on disinfection byproducts, and dynamics of Legionella and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their associations with Microcystis blooms. For this, weekly source water and finished water were obtained from two drinking water plants in western (bloom) and central Lake Erie (control) for two years. The bloom site showed significantly higher levels of microcystin (MC)-producing Microcystis and MCs in the source water than the control site (pLegionella spp. concentrations were significantly higher from the bloom site than the control site (pLegionella spp. was observed in the bloom site (F=89.82, p=0.001), but not in the control site (F=0.31, p=0.5814). The abundance ARGs and mobile genetic elements were significantly higher from the bloom sites. Our results provide new insights into emerging environmental and health impact, beyond the bloom toxicity. Co-exposure of cyanotoxin together with Legionella as well as ARG-related risks should be considered in future studies.