Superbugs Study Findings Could Impact U.S. Treatment Plants

A Rice University study of “superbugs” found at two wastewater treatment plants in northern China should alert operators at U.S. wastewater facilities how dangerous bacteria can enter the treatment system. The study’s author urges improved safety measures when it comes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Joint research by scientists from Rice, Nankai and Tianjin Universities discovered superbugs at two Chinese wastewater plants carrying New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1), a multidrug-resistant gene first identified in India in 2010. Tests revealed significant levels of NDM-1 in the effluent released to the environment and even higher levels in dewatered biosolids applied to soils. The findings reaffirmed researchers’