Occurrence of toxic metals and their selective pressure for antibiotic-resistant clinically relevant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes in river receiving systems under tropical conditions

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2022-03, Vol.29 (14), p.20530-20541
• Main Authors: Al Salah, Dhafer Mohammed M., Laffite, Amandine, Sivalingam, Periyasamy, Poté, John
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural wastes; Amides; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Bacteria - genetics; Cadmium; Chromium; Copper; Correlation; CRE bacteria; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Developing countries; Drug resistance; E coli; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterococcus; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental science; Escherichia coli; Fecal coliforms; Genes; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Grain size; Heavy metals; Hospital wastes; hospitals; Humans; LDCs; Medical wastes; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Organic matter; Research Article; Rivers; Rivers - microbiology; rRNA; Sediment samplers; Sediments; Selectors; Systems analysis; toxicity; Tropical Climate; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater; Wastewater pollution; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water resources; Zinc; β-Lactam antibiotics
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17115-z

The co-occurrence of heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) from hospital effluents spreading into the river receiving systems and evaluating associated risks are topics of scientific interest and still under-studied in developing countries under tropical conditions. To understand the selectors of the ARGs, we examined the occurrence of heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn), associated ARB (β-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli , β-lactam-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae) and ARGs ( bla OXA , bla CTX-M , bla IMP , bla TEM ) in water and sediments from two sub-urban rivers receiving urban and hospital effluent waters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High abundances of ARB and ARGs were observed in all sediment samples. All the metal contents correlated negatively with grain size (− 0.94 ≤  r  ≤  − 0.54, p