To assess the ecotoxicological and sanitary
situation in two European metropolis, Rostov-on-Don
(Southern Russia) and Munich (Southern Germany),
wastewaters of the two cities were examined with a panel
of bacterial lux-biosensors:
Vibrio aquamarinus VKPM
B-11245,
Escherichia coli
MG1655 (pXen7),
E. coli
MG1655 (pRecA-lux),
E. coli MG1655 (pSoxS-lux),
E. coli MG1655 (pKatG-lux),
E. coli MG1655 (pIbpAlux),
E. coli MG1655 (GrpE-lux),
E. coli MG1655 (pFabAlux).
The presence of different genotoxic compounds and
substances with the oxidative and membrane-damaging
effects was revealed in contaminated wastewater with the
applied panel of the lux-biosensors. The integral toxicity
was approximately the same in both cities but demonstrated
opposite trends. The presence of genotoxicants and
peroxides was higher in the majority of the Munich
wastewater samples. There were also differences in the
presence of individual toxicants. The presence of the
genotoxic compounds might also promote development
and dissemination of several antibiotic resistance traits
found in microorganisms, a feature more pronounced in
Rostov-on-Don wastewaters. By means of polymerase
chain reaction assay, antibiotic resistance genes to such
antibiotics as
ermB,
vim and
vanB were revealed in two
Munich samples. Antibiotic resistance genes were present
at all Rostov samples, and genes
ndm,
vanA,
vanB and
ermB were found. Taken together, the proposed analytical
approach with the application of the constructed panel of
biosensors can be applied for monitoring of the ecotoxicological
contamination in the wastewaters of large cities.
