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The discovery of antibiotics remains one of the greatest achievements of the last century. Unfortunately, due to their overuse and misuse, the occurrence of resistance to antibiotics has become one of the most pressing dilemmas for human public health. Many sources of antibiotic resistance are known, including agriculture, animal husbandry, hospitals, sewage treatment plants, and potentially, cemetery soil. There is lack of sufficient evidence on the contribution of the cemetery soil in the introduction of antibiotic resistance into the environment; therefore, this issue needs to be explored. Here, we review the most important pathways for the transfer of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and their genes and the main factors influencing the spreading efficiency. Unlike other studies on this subject, the article focuses on an area that seems to be overlooked, the cemetery soil environment. The presented data highlight the importance of cemetery soil in the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and their genes into the environment, which may help identify appropriate solutions to combat this problem more effectively. In addition, the review describes their potential importance in the escalation of the antibiotic resistance phenomenon, along with different methods of combating antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive presence of single-use plastics is rapidly degrading our natural environment on a global scale due to their inherent resistance to decomposition. Wet wipes used for personal or household purposes contribute significantly to the accumulation of plastic waste. One potential solution to address this problem involves developing eco-friendly materials that possess the ability to degrade naturally while retaining their washing capabilities. For this purpose, the beads from sodium alginate, gellan gum, and a mixture of these natural polymers containing surfactant were produced using the ionotropic gelation method. Stability studies of the beads by observing their appearance and diameter were performed after incubation in solutions of different pH values. The images showed that macroparticles were reduced in size in an acidic medium and swelled in solution of pH-neutral phosphate-buffered saline. Moreover, all the beads first swelled and then degraded in alkaline conditions. The beads based on gellan gum and combining both polymers were the least sensitive to pH changes. The compression tests revealed that the stiffness of all macroparticles decreased with the increasing pH of the solutions in which they were immersed. The studied beads were more rigid in an acidic solution than in alkaline conditions. The biodegradation of macroparticles was assessed using a respirometric method in soil and seawater. It is important to note that the macroparticles degraded more rapidly in soil than in seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper presents the results of the study on the production of protease by Bacillus luteus H11 isolated from an alkaline soda lime. B. luteus H11 was identified as an alkalohalophilic bacterium, and its extracellular serine endoprotease also showed an extreme alkali- and halotolerance. It was remarkably stable in the presence of NaCl up to 5 M. The enzyme was active in a broad range of pH values and temperatures, with an optimum pH of 10.5 and a temperature of 45 °C. It had a molecular mass of about 37 kDa and showed activity against azocasein and a synthetic substrate for the subtilisin-like protease, N-succinyl-l-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide. The halo-alkaline protease produced by B. luteus H11 seems to be significant from an industrial perspective because of its tolerance towards high salinity and alkalinity as well as its stability against some organic solvents, surfactants and oxidants. These properties make the protease suitable for applications in food, detergent and pharmaceutical industries, and also in environmental bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results how the root system of the common osier ( Salix viminalis L.) affects the activity of selected extracellular enzymes (esterase, phosphatase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and leucine-aminopeptidase) involved in the decomposition of organic matter in the constructed wetland, part of a wastewater treatment system. Soil samples from a zone affected by rhizosphere and a control sample were collected from three sampling sites located within the filter area: near the sewage inflow, in the middle of the plot, and at the end of the plot. The activities of the five extracellular enzymes were assayed by fluorescently labeled model substrates (4-methylumbelliferyl and 7-amido-4-methylcoumarin). Esterase activity was highest in the rhizosphere and control soil. The highest values of enzymatic activity were recorded in the rhizosphere soil at the wastewater inflow and decreased with increasing distance from that point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was aimed at assessing whether there is a risk of Legionella pneumophila in thermal pools used in balneotherapy and recreation. Water samples were collected from five thermal baths, supplied by thermal waters. The total number of bacteria was determined in the direct microscopic count under a fluorescence microscope. The numbers of bacteria from investigated phylogenetic groups ( Legionella sp. and L. pneumophila) were estimated with the use of a fluorescence in situ hybridization method. The highest average total number of bacteria in the entire research cycle was recorded in old pools labeled OB1 and OB2. Bacteria belonging to the Legionella genus along with L. pneumophila were identified in all water samples collected from each bath. Moreover, a biofilm containing cells of L. pneumophila was identified in the collected water samples. The number of bacteria in water was dependent on the bath's age, the operation and the maintenance of the facilities. In old pools, with water exchanged periodically, the risk of L. pneumophila was higher; in new pools with a continual flow of water, lower. The results of this research showed no correlation between the number of Legionella and water temperature. Legionella pneumophila can successfully develop not only in fresh water bodies but in thermal baths as well. Still, it is uncertain whether the commonly applied culture method, developed for freshwater bodies, is also suitable for thermal baths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was aimed at assessing changes in the number of bacteria and evaluating biofilm formation in groundwater collected from public wells, both aspects directly related to the methods of household storage. In the research, water collected from Cretaceous aquifer wells in Toruń (Poland) was stored in a refrigerator and at room temperature. Microbiological parameters of the water were measured immediately after the water collection, and then after 3 and 7 days of storage under specified conditions. The microbiological examination involved determining the number of heterotrophic bacteria capable of growth at 22 and 37 °C, the number of spore-forming bacteria, and the total number of bacteria on membrane filters. The storage may affect water quality to such an extent that the water, which initially met the microbiological criteria for water intended for human consumption, may pose a health risk. The repeated use of the same containers for water storage results in biofilm formation containing live and metabolically active bacterial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was determination of the level of water contamination in fountains in Toruń, Poland., Methods: The studies were conducted at monthly intervals from May - September 2009, and consisted in the determination of the number of heterotrophic bacteria capable of growing at a temperature of 22 and 37°C (PN-ISO 6222), as well as the number of coliform bacteria (PN-75/C-04615/05), E. coli (ISO 9308-1) and faecal streptococci (PN-EN ISO 7899-2)., Results: The 'Rafter' fountain in the Old Town Market Square, continuously supplied with municipal water, had the cleanest water. The highest number of heterotrophic bacteria capable of development at 22 and 37°C was found in the fountain located in the City Park of Bydgoskie suburb. Throughout the entire research period, water from the fountain in the Old Town Moat had the worst sanitary (health) indices., Conclusion: The recorded results indicate that water from the 3 out of 4 examined fountains, with inappropriate exploitation--bathing, water drinking, hands washing--may constitute a danger to human health. The fountains should be carefully monitored for the presence of microorganisms, or a ban on bathing in fountains should be more rigorously enforced, in order to prevent possible infections.