Kinobe, Robert, Drane, Kezia, Sheehan, Madoc, Huerlimann, Roger, and Whelan, Anna (2025) Wastewater Processing and Antimicrobial Resistance in Great Barrier Reef Parks. In: Veterinary Science Week Presentations. From: ANZCVS Vet Science Week 2025, 23-26 July 2025, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants are a known source for the convergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).1,2 In delicate ecosystems such as Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks (GBRMP), AMR can cause microbial shifts in wildlife and destabilise environmental health. The bacteriome and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) released from a membrane bioreactor-based wastewater plant in Cleveland Bay within GBRMP in Townsville Australia, was characterised. Influent, effluent and biosolid samples were acquired over 10 months; DNA was extracted followed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. ARGs were annotated using bioinformatics tools and MEGARes database, and Kraken2 with NCBI nucleotide database was used to characterise bacteria.3 Wilcox Rank Sum tests and permutational multivariant analysis of variance was done using R software (v4.1.1). ARGs coding for resistance against major antimicrobial classes including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, sulphonamides and tetracycline were detected in the influent, biosolids and the effluent. The relative abundance and observed richness for ARGs and the bacteriome were significantly lower in the effluent (p = 0.001). The ratio of core expressed ARGs to bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was significantly higher in the effluent compared to biosolids (0.024 vs. 0.010, p < 0.0001), but not the influent (Figure 1). These data indicate that the membrane bioreactor and ultrafiltration process utilised in the Cleveland Bay plant within GBRMP in Townsville is efficient but some core ARGs persist in the effluent. The impact of released ARGs and bacterial OTUs on animal, public and environmental health is not known, and it should be the focus for future investigations.

Item ID:	89619
Item Type:	Conference Item (Presentation)
Funders:	Townsville City Council
Projects and Grants:	Ecological Impact of Antibiotic Resistance Released from the Cleveland Bay Purification Plant using Marine Turtle Species (Old ID 26730)
Date Deposited:	18 Nov 2025 00:04
FoR Codes:	41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410407 Wildlife and habitat management @ 50% 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3009 Veterinary sciences > 300911 Veterinary pharmacology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200499 Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified @ 20% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 80%
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