I - RACE

Background:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and greenhouse gas levels are two of the most pressing societal issues of our time. The Integrated Constructed Wetland (ICW) concept has been applied in the treatment of a diverse range of effluents from agricultural and food processing industries in Ireland over the past 20 years. Previous research by this group and others has demonstrated the potential of ICWs to reduce the levels of antimicrobial resistant organisms (AROs) released into the environment by treated water. Furthermore, appropriately constructed and maintained ICWs may have an application to sequester carbon.

I-RACE will undertake a detailed investigation of the mechanisms of action of ICWs serving different sectors in removing AROs from wastewaters, as well as their ability to act as carbon sinks. The project is interdisciplinary, involving experienced researchers in microbiology, bioinformatics and veterinary public health working with hydrology and engineering experts in the construction and operation of ICWs.

Project objectives:

• determine the occurrence of AMR Enterobacterales of public health significance in influent and effluent in ICWs from different sectors and the efficacy of these ICWs to reduce the presence of AROs in effluent;
• perform a longitudinal analysis of the composition and function of the microbial population entering and leaving ICWs representative of different sectors and determining the associated resistome, virulome and mobilome;
• determine the rates of carbon build-up from in-system activities and sequestration capacities of the ICW approach;
• determine the functionality for ARO removal, nutrient reduction and carbon sequestration in each cell comprising ICWs.

Project Partners