Fate of sulfonamide resistance genes in estuary environment and effect of anthropogenic activities

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2015-09, Vol.527-528, p.429-438
• Main Authors: Lu, Zihao, Na, Guangshui, Gao, Hui, Wang, Lijun, Bao, Chenguang, Yao, Ziwei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Antibiotic resistance gene; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Brackish; Contaminants; Correlation; Drug Resistance, Microbial - genetics; Environmental Monitoring; Estuaries; Estuarine environments; Estuary; Genes, Bacterial; Heavy metal; Sulfonamide; Sulfonamides - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water quality
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.101

With the exacerbating problem of antibiotic resistance, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as emerging contaminants are found at elevated levels in inland aquatic environments, especially in regions of intensive agricultural and urban activity. However, little quantitative data exist on the migration and attenuation of ARGs in estuary ecosystem, which is central to predicting their fate after release into marine environment. Moreover, the relevance of multiple chemical contaminants and water quality constituents should be understood to amplify and attenuate antibiotic resistance levels. To determine the prevalence and examine the fate of sulfonamide ARGs (sul-ARGs) in two estuaries under different effects of anthropogenic activities, we analyzed the sul-ARGs (sul1, sul2, and sul3), class 1 integrons (int1), and bacterial biomass in surface water samples from Daliaohe and Liaohe river estuaries. We also evaluated five types of antibiotics, heavy metals, and various bulk water quality constituents. Results showed that sul-ARGs were widespread in Daliaohe and Liaohe river estuaries, but the distribution did not correlate with the concentration of sulfonamides. Significant reduction in the abundance of sul-ARGs was also observed with increased salinity. Nevertheless, the trend in the change of concentrations of sul-ARGs was different in the two estuaries. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that several metals were significantly and positively correlated with sul-ARGs. Pearson's correlation coefficients were higher than those determined between antibiotic residues and sul-ARGs. Furthermore, the relative abundance of sul-ARGs was significantly and positively correlated with the relative abundance of int1 which suggested that the propagation of sul-ARGs was facilitated by class 1 integrons in estuaries. •Trends in sul-ARGs were investigated in estuaries under different anthropogenic effect.•Distribution of sul-ARGs did not correlate with the sulfonamides levels in estuary.•Significant reduction of sul-ARGs abundances were observed in estuary.•Fate of sul-ARGs were affected by ambient pressures from non-antibiotic contaminants.