Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the Lebanese polluted Litani River.

Antibiotic contamination in polluted rivers is well recognized as an environmental and public health challenge. In this study, the occurrence, distribution, and ecological risk assessment of three commonly used antibiotics (amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin) were assessed in the Litani River, the most important and highly polluted river in Lebanon. Physicochemical and microbiological water quality parameters including the antibiotic-resistant ones were in parallel determined in the same sites. Water samples from five sites stretching across the river upper basin were analyzed for the antibiotics under study using high-performance liquid chromatography, with both fluorometric and UV detectors post-extraction using a solid-phase method with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance cartridges. The disc diffusion method and standardized water quality methods were used for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and water quality assessment, respectively. Amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin were found at concentrations of 250 ng/L and 107.2 ng/L, while azithromycin was not detected in any of the sites under study. Varying levels of antibiotic resistance were detected with the isolated Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) while the total coliforms showed resistance to multiple antibiotics. COD, TP, PO43-, TN, NO3-, NH4 + , E. coli, total coliform, P. aeruginosa, and Cd levels surpassed permissible levels. Correlation analysis with water quality parameters (COD, total phosphate, phosphate, total nitrogen, and cadmium) showed a significant positive correlation with ciprofloxacin (r > 0.5, p value < 0.05). Also, the resistant P. aeruginosa showed a significant positive correlation with cadmium (r > 0.5, p value < 0.05) while the resistant E. coli was positively correlated with total nitrogen, nitrate, and lead levels (r > 0.5, p value < 0.05). The ecological risk assessment revealed that all the tested antibiotics pose low risks (ecological risk quotient RQ < 0.1) except ciprofloxacin, which could pose a medium risk (0.1 < RQ < 1). Future research concerning the long-term assessment of antibiotics' residues and the identification of resistance genes in the river is recommended.

Association between exposure to pesticides and disorder on hematological parameters and kidney function in male agricultural workers.

Pesticides occupy a critical position among many chemicals to which man can be exposed; their diffusion into the environment causes killing and damaging of some forms of life. The lack of highly selective pesticide action represents risk both for man and other desirable forms of life present in the environment. The present study was designed to evaluate the relation between exposure to pesticides and disorder on hematological parameters and kidney function of male agricultural workers with the mean age 37.11 ± 9.3. Another 100 unexposed men matched for age, and socioeconomic status were recruited as a control to compare the levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells (RBCs), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and urea and creatinine concentration. The results indicate that there was no significant difference in hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value among exposed group as compared to control group. However, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the RBCs count and a highly significant increase (P < 0.01) in MCV among exposed group. There was no significant difference in MCH and MCHC among exposed group. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in urea (39.4 ± 22 mg/dl) among exposed group as compared to control (35.7 ± 26.3 mg/dl). Also, there was a highly significant increase (P < 0.01) in creatinine among exposed group (0.953 ± 0.3 mg/dl) as compared to control (0.8 ± 0.2 mg/dl). In conclusion, exposure to pesticides produces a variety of hematological parameter disorders as well as kidney malfunction in human.

Bacterial Diversity and Bioremediation Potential of the Highly Contaminated Marine Sediments at El-Max District (Egypt, Mediterranean Sea).

Coastal environments worldwide are threatened by the effects of pollution, a risk particularly high in semienclosed basins like the Mediterranean Sea that is poorly studied from bioremediation potential perspective especially in the Southern coast. Here, we investigated the physical, chemical, and microbiological features of hydrocarbon and heavy metals contaminated sediments collected at El-Max bay (Egypt). Molecular and statistical approaches assessing the structure of the sediment-dwelling bacterial communities showed correlations between the composition of bacterial assemblages and the associated environmental parameters. Fifty strains were isolated on mineral media supplemented by 1% crude oil and identified as a diverse range of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria involved in different successional stages of biodegradation. We screened the collection for biotechnological potential studying biosurfactant production, biofilm formation, and the capability to utilize different hydrocarbons. Some strains were able to grow on multiple hydrocarbons as unique carbon source and presented biosurfactant-like activities and/or capacity to form biofilm and owned genes involved in different detoxification/degradation processes. El-Max sediments represent a promising reservoir of novel bacterial strains adapted to high hydrocarbon contamination loads. The potential of the strains for exploitation for in situ intervention to combat pollution in coastal areas is discussed.

Bacterial population and biodegradation potential in chronically crude oil-contaminated marine sediments are strongly linked to temperature.

Two of the largest crude oil-polluted areas in the world are the semi-enclosed Mediterranean and Red Seas, but the effect of chronic pollution remains incompletely understood on a large scale. We compared the influence of environmental and geographical constraints and anthropogenic forces (hydrocarbon input) on bacterial communities in eight geographically separated oil-polluted sites along the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The differences in community compositions and their biodegradation potential were primarily associated (P < 0.05) with both temperature and chemical diversity. Furthermore, we observed a link between temperature and chemical and biological diversity that was stronger in chronically polluted sites than in pristine ones where accidental oil spills occurred. We propose that low temperature increases bacterial richness while decreasing catabolic diversity and that chronic pollution promotes catabolic diversification. Our results further suggest that the bacterial populations in chronically polluted sites may respond more promptly in degrading petroleum after accidental oil spills.

Conversion of Uric Acid into Ammonium in Oil-Degrading Marine Microbial Communities: a Possible Role of Halomonads.

Uric acid is a promising hydrophobic nitrogen source for biostimulation of microbial activities in oil-impacted marine environments. This study investigated metabolic processes and microbial community changes in a series of microcosms using sediment from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea amended with ammonium and uric acid. Respiration, emulsification, ammonium and protein concentration measurements suggested a rapid production of ammonium from uric acid accompanied by the development of microbial communities containing hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria after 3 weeks of incubation. About 80 % of uric acid was converted to ammonium within the first few days of the experiment. Microbial population dynamics were investigated by Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis and Illumina sequencing as well as by culture-based techniques. Resulting data indicated that strains related to Halomonas spp. converted uric acid into ammonium, which stimulated growth of microbial consortia dominated by Alcanivorax spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Several strains of Halomonas spp. were isolated on uric acid as the sole carbon source showed location specificity. These results point towards a possible role of halomonads in the conversion of uric acid to ammonium utilized by hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria.