Degradation of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes using peracetic acid (PAA) and performic acid (PFA)

Antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) associated infections are identified as a major threat to human health in the 21 st century. Wastewater contains antibiotic resistance determinants and they are discharged to aquatic environments with treated or untreated effluents. These antibiotic resistance determinants can be taken up by environmental bacteria via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and they can become antibiotic resistant. Among antibiotic resistance determinants, extracellular DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes can be up taken by environmental bacteria via natural transformation. Therefore, we evaluated the suitability of low-cost disinfectants peracetic acid (PAA) and performic acid (PFA) on inactivating total and functional extracellular ARGs in ultrapure water and secondary wastewater effluent matrices using pUC19 as a model ARG. Performance of PAA and PFA in inactivating extracellular ARGs was compared with the performance of free chlorine disinfection. RT-qPCR results showed that inactivation of amp R gene in pUC19 plasmid suspended in ultrapure water and wastewater secondary effluent by free chlorine was higher compared to PAA and PFA. However, the reduction of functional pUC19 by PAA and PFA were comparable to free chlorine. Transformation frequency of pUC19 treated by PAA and PFA achieved the maximum possible reduction within a shorter time compared to free chlorine treatment, highlighting the possibility of having disinfection chambers with smaller footprints in wastewater treatment plants. These results suggest the suitability of PAA and PFA for inactivation of ARGs in aquatic samples as alternative disinfectants to free chlorine. • ARGs were inactivated by peracetic acid (PAA) and performic acid (PFA). • Viable ARG inactivation by PAA and PFA was comparable to free chlorine. • ARG inactivation by PAA was instantaneous compared to PFA and free chlorine.