Perspectives on Chemical Warfare and Emergence of Antibacterial Resistance in Water Environment

Abstract

The entire world is facing serious problems with the emergence of pathogens in water environment; aroused due to antibacterial resistance. Bacteria evolve multiple mechanisms to survive the treatment with strong oxidants (disinfectants) and antimicrobial agents. Chlorine disinfectants are commonly used for water treatment, due to its low-cost and easy availability. Chlorine is an effective disinfectant that leaves behind a residual effect for inactivating bacteria; although some species have evolved mechanism to tolerate free chlorine. The bacterial species when subjected to chemical warfare which threatens its extinction often evolve mechanisms to survive under stress leading to the development of resistance. The objective of the present study is to understand the mechanism through which bacteria pertain to resistance and to measure the degree of antimicrobial resistance in the water environment. Few mechanisms of the resistance may be efflux pump activation, porin channels, plasma membrane-mediated protein scaffolding, biofilm formation, cellular aggregation, and starvation. Some solutions for mitigating issues of emerging pathogens may be the use of ozone and UV radiations though both methods do not assure residual effects. Some costlier yet effective treatment methods are nano-sorbents particles, nano-particle enhanced filtration methods, nano-catalysts, and bioactive nano-particles.