# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 7137 | 0 | 1.0000 | The exposure risks associated with pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosol from municipal landfill and surrounding area. Pathogenic microbes with antibiotic resistance can thrive on municipal solid waste as nutrients and be aerosolized and transported to vicinities during waste disposal processes. However, the characterization of pathogenic bioaerosols and assessment of their exposure risks are lacking. Herein, particle size, concentration, activity, antibiotic resistance, and pathogenicity of airborne microorganisms were assessed in different sectors of a typical landfill. Results showed that active sector in downwind direction has the highest bioaerosol level (1234 CFU/m(3)), while residential area has the highest activity (14.82 mg/L). Botanical deodorizer from mist cannon can effectively remove bioaerosol. Most bioaerosols can be inhaled into respiratory system till bronchi with sizes ranging from 2.1-3.3 and 3.3-4.7 µm. Pathogenic bacteria (Bacilli, Bacillus, and Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia) and allergenic fungi (Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Curvularia) prevailed in landfill. Although high abundance of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) producing bioaerosols were detected, these mVOCs contributed little to odor issues in landfill. Notably, surrounding areas have higher levels of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) than inner landfill with tetC, acrB, acrF, mdtF, and bacA as dominant ones. Most ARGs were significantly correlated with bacterial community, while environmental parameters mainly influenced fungal prevalence. These findings can assist in reducing and preventing respiratory allergy or infection risks in occupational environments relating to waste management. | 2023 | 36804245 |
| 7047 | 1 | 0.9996 | Characteristics of airborne bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes under different air quality levels. Pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bioaerosols are major threats to human health. In this study, the microbial community structure and ARG distribution characteristics of airborne bacteria in total suspended particulates (TSP) and PM(2.5) were investigated under different air quality levels in Xinxiang, Central China. The results revealed that with the deterioration of air quality, the concentrations of airborne bacteria in both TSP and PM(2.5) decreased; however, the relative amounts of pathogenic bacteria increased. The predominant genera in pathogenic bacteria of Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Rhodococcus, and Staphylococcus were identified in both TSP and PM(2.5). Although the airborne bacteria concentrations and absolute abundances of ARGs in TSP were higher than those in PM(2.5) under identical air quality conditions, the bacterial community structure and relative amounts of pathogenic bacteria were similar. In addition, the relationship between environmental factors of ions, metal elements, and meteorological parameters and the community structures of airborne bacteria and pathogenic bacteria were also analyzed. The effects of soluble ions and metal elements on several dominant genera of total bacteria and pathogenic bacteria differed, probably due to the strong tolerance of pathogenic bacteria to harsh atmospheric environments Different subtypes of ARGs showed various distribution characteristics with variations in air quality. The deterioration of air quality can inhibit the dissemination of ARGs, as the minimum values of all ARGs and class 1 integrase intI1 were observed under Severely Polluted conditions. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the effect of air pollution levels on the airborne bacteria community composition and ARG distribution. | 2022 | 35180669 |
| 7048 | 2 | 0.9996 | Airborne antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance, and bacterial pathogens in a commercial composting facility: Transmission and exposure risk. Multiple elements associated with antimicrobial resistance in compost may escape into the air during the composting process, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), human pathogenic bacteria (HPBs), and even antibiotics. Although antibiotics play a critical role in the evolution of resistance in HPBs, no information is available on airborne antibiotics in composting facilities. In this study, we systematically quantified airborne antibiotics, ARGs, and HPBs in comparison with those in compost. The burden of antibiotics in the air reached 4.17 ± 2.71 × 10(2) ng/g, significantly higher than that in compost. The concentration of ARGs (10(2) copies/g) in air also increased compared with that in compost. Concentrations of target contaminants in air were affected by temperature, organic matter, and heavy metals. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed the connectivity and complexity of antibiotics, ARGs, and HPBs were greater in air than in compost. The maximum daily antibiotic intake dose was up to 1.18 × 10(-1)ng/d/kg, accompanied by considerable inhalation levels of ARGs and HPBs. Our results reveal the severity of airborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) elements in composting facilities, highlight the non-negligible amount of antibiotics and their co-existence with ARGs and HPBs, and shed light on the potential role of airborne antibiotics in the evolution of environmental AMR. | 2024 | 39442303 |
| 7174 | 3 | 0.9995 | Metagenomic analysis deciphers airborne pathogens with enhanced antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors in composting facilities. The composting process has been shown to effectively reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animal manure, but its influence on surrounding airborne AMR remains unknown, particularly with regard to human-pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria (HPARB). In this study, air and paired compost samples were collected from a full-scale composting facility, and the antibiotic resistome, microbiome, and HPARB were systematically analyzed in both two habitats using metagenomic analysis. Current result uncovered the profiles of HPARB in air, showing that significantly more airborne HPARB were assembled than that in compost samples. Airborne pathogens harboredan increased abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in comparison with compost-borne HPARB. The core antibiotic resistome represents 18.58% of overall ARG subtypes, contributing to 86.31% of ARG abundance. A higher number of enriched core ARGs (2.16- to 13.36-times higher), including mexF, tetW, and vanS, were observed in air samples compared to compost samples. As an important human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was prevalent in the air and carried more ARG (6) and VFG (130) subtypes than those in compost. A significantly higher risk score was detected for airborne AMR in the composting facility compared to that in hospital and urban environments. This study revealed the enhanced airborne HPARB through comparative experiments between air and composting habitats. It highlighted the unrecognized AMR risks associated with air in composting site and provided a scientific basis for accurately assessing health outcomes caused by occupational exposure. | 2025 | 40472755 |
| 7151 | 4 | 0.9995 | Pollution profiles of antibiotic resistance genes associated with airborne opportunistic pathogens from typical area, Pearl River Estuary and their exposure risk to human. To reveal the selective pressures of near-shore human activities on marine and continental bioaerosols, the pollution profile and potential exposure risk of airborne pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in Pearl River Estuaries (113.52 (o)E, 22.69 (o)N), a transitional zone between marine and continental environments, were fully explored. The results showed that the total bacteria among bioaerosols varied largely with average pollution levels of 1.86 × 10(5) and 4.35 × 10(4) cfu m(-3) in spring and summer, respectively, and were high than those of airborne fungi. The predominant aerodynamic diameters of bioaerosols were in respirable size range (<4.7 µm), and the microbes communities' diversity and abundance varied significantly. Besides, many opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia, Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter) and fungi (Alternaria, Penicillium and Cladosporium) were dominant in bioaerosol samples. Of 21 ARGs subtypes detected, the tetracycline resistance gene tetA was the most abundant, followed by aminoglycoside resistance gene and mobile genetic elements. Correlation analysis revealed that the changes of pathogens community contributed significantly to the prevalence of ARGs in bioaerosol. Based on the average daily dose rates of microorganisms and human direct intake of ARGs, health risk of bioaerosols from the Pearl River Estuaries were also evaluated. In summary, the presence of opportunistic pathogens and diversity of ARGs strengthens the call to consider the bioaerosol in air quality monitoring and risk assessment in the future. | 2020 | 32645489 |
| 7046 | 5 | 0.9995 | Contributions of meat waste decomposition to the abundance and diversity of pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes in the atmosphere. Airborne transmission of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in landfill and acquisition of antibiotic resistance by pathogenic bacteria are posing potential threat to human and environmental health. However, little is known about contribution of waste decomposition to airborne ARGs and pathogens during landfilling of household waste. Herein, the dynamic changes of microbial communities and ARGs were comparatively investigated in leachate and bioaerosol during the decomposition of chicken, fish, and pork wastes. Results found that chicken and pork decomposition could result in emitting high abundance of bioaerosol and pathogen, while fish fermentation will lead to high airborne microbial activity. The main pathogens were Bacilli, Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia and Mycobacterium in bioaerosols, but were Wohlfahrtiimonas, Peptoniphilus and Fusobacterium in leachate, suggesting that the ability of aerosolization of bacteria in leachate was independent of their abundance and diversity. Whereas, diversity and relative abundance of ARGs in leachate were significantly higher than bioaerosol. Moreover, the relative abundance of ARGs in leachate and bioaerosols was not completely relevant. The changes of pathogenic community contributed significantly to the prevalence of ARGs in bioaerosol and leachate. The results will define the contribution of household waste decomposition to airborne pathogen and ARG distribution and provide foundation for airborne bacterial exposure risk and control in landfill. | 2021 | 34088047 |
| 6838 | 6 | 0.9995 | Seasonal variation characteristics of inhalable bacteria in bioaerosols and antibiotic resistance genes in Harbin. Bioaerosols have received extensive attention due to their impact on climate, ecological environment, and human health. This study aimed to reveal the driving factors that structure bacterial community composition and the transmission route of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in PM(2.5). The results showed that the bacterial concentration in spring (8.76 × 10(5) copies/m(3)) was significantly higher than that in summer (1.03 × 10(5) copies/m(3)) and winter (4.74 × 10(4) copies/m(3)). Low temperatures and air pollution in winter negatively affected bacterial concentrations. Keystone taxa were identified by network analysis. Although about 50 % of the keystone taxa had low relative abundances, the strong impact of complex interactions between keystone taxa and other taxa on bacterial community structure deserved attention. The bacterial community assembly was dominated by stochastic processes (79.3 %). Interactions between bacteria and environmental filtering together affected bacterial community composition. Vertical gene transfer played an important role in the transmission of airborne ARGs. Given the potential integration and expression of ARGs in recipients, the human exposure risk due to high concentrations of ARGs and mobile genetic elements cannot be ignored. This study highlights human exposure to inhalable bacterial pathogens and ARGs in urban areas. | 2023 | 36584645 |
| 7142 | 7 | 0.9995 | Unveiling the role of aeration tanks in the emission and enrichment of airborne antibiotic resistance genes in a wastewater treatment plant. The aeration tanks in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important sources of airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) due to bubble bursts at the air-liquid interface. This study employed an integrated metagenomic workflow, encompassing reference-based, assembly-based, and binning-based modules, to investigate resistomes in a WWTP in northern Taiwan. The role of aeration tanks in emitting airborne ARGs and their associated risks was assessed. The findings revealed a strong similarity between the ARG profiles in aeration tank wastewater and surrounding PM(2.5), indicating atmospheric transmission of ARGs. Notably, the ARG level in PM(2.5) (0.83 ± 0.11 ARGs/cell) was 59.6 % higher than in wastewater (0.52 ± 0.01 ARGs/cell). The assembly-based analysis showed that foam-forming bacteria such as Mycobacterium and Gordonia dominated ARGs-carrying contigs in PM(2.5), suggesting that higher atomization capabilities of ARB contribute to airborne ARG prevalence. Furthermore, a significant proportion of stress response genes and increasing efflux pump resistance (122.6 %) in PM(2.5) imply that mechanical forces during aerosolization and harsh atmospheric conditions select for airborne ARB capable of overcoming stress induced by dramatic environmental changes. Overall, the study indicates that ARG risk is intensified in PM(2.5) due to their abundance, mobility, and pathogenicity. In conclusion, aeration tanks not only emit airborne ARGs but also cause an unexpected enrichment effect and exposure risk during aeration, highlighting the critical water-to-air transmission route of ARGs in WWTPs. | 2025 | 39616810 |
| 6839 | 8 | 0.9995 | Bioaerosol is an important transmission route of antibiotic resistance genes in pig farms. Although pig farms are hotspots of antibiotic resistance due to intensive use of antibiotics, little is known about the abundance, diversity and transmission of airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study reports that bioaerosol is an important spread route of ARGs in pig farms. ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and bacterial communities were investigated in both air and feces samples during winter and summer. The average concentration of airborne ARGs and MGEs during winter is higher than that during summer when using the ventilation system. The tetM is identified as the predominant airborne ARG with abundance of 6.3 ± 1.2 log copies/m(3). Clostridium and Streptococcus are two dominant bacteria and several opportunistic pathogens are detected in air samples. High temperature is favorable for more diverse bacterial communities, but relative humidity has negative effects. The wind speed promotes the spread of airborne ARGs. The network analysis results show the average fecal contribution to airborne bacteria is 19.9% and 59.4% during summer and winter, respectively. Horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in the dissemination of airborne ARGs during winter (77.8% possibility), while a lower possibility of 12.0% in summer. | 2021 | 33864959 |
| 6841 | 9 | 0.9994 | Deciphering key traits and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and degradation genes in pharmaceutical wastewater receiving environments. Discharge of pharmaceutical wastewater significantly affects the receiving environments. However, the development of antibiotic resistance and microbial enzymatic degradation in wastewater-receiving soils and rivers remains unclear. This study investigated a sulfonamide-producing factory to explore the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the receiving river and soil environments (0-100 cm depth), and the potential hosts of sadABC genes (sulfonamide-degrading genes) as well as their phylogenetic characterization. We identified plentiful ARGs (28 types and 1065 subtypes) and their hosts (30 phyla and 340 MAGs) in three media (surface water, sediment, and soil). Results indicated that the abundances of total resistome in water and sediment of receiving river (0-1.5 km) were higher than the global river resistome median levels. Wastewater significantly affected the soil resistome, leading to an average 5-fold increase in ARG abundance, and a 22-fold enrichment of sulfonamide ARGs. The abundance and diversity of soil resistome decreased significantly with depth, and the abundance was below the global soil resistome median level at the depth greater than 20 cm. The detection of 17 risk rank I ARGs and the enrichment of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria in soil and river highlighted the resistance risks in the environments. Notably, 73 sadABC-carrying contigs were detected, which were mainly hosted by Microbacteriaceae and some other previously unreported bacteria, such as Mycobacteriaceae spp. The findings offer valuable insights into antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risk assessment and the bioremediation of sulfonamides pollution in the environment affected by pharmaceutical wastewater. | 2025 | 39914310 |
| 7144 | 10 | 0.9994 | Purification of aquaculture wastewater by macrophytes and biofilm systems: Efficient removal of trace antibiotics and enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes. The purification performance of aquaculture wastewater and the risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) dissemination in wetlands dominated by macrophytes remain unclear. Here, the purification effects of different macrophytes and biofilm systems on real aquaculture wastewater were investigated, as well as the distribution and abundance of ARGs. Compared to the submerged macrophytes, artificial macrophytes exhibited higher removal rates of TOC (58.80 ± 5.04 %), TN (74.50 ± 2.50 %), and TP (77.33 ± 11.66 %), and achieved approximately 79.92 % removal of accumulated trace antibiotics in the surrounding water. Additionally, the biofilm microbial communities on the surface of artificial macrophytes exhibited higher microbial diversity with fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) enrichment from the surrounding water. The absolute abundance of ARGs (sul1, sul2, and intI1) in the mature biofilm to be one to two orders of magnitude higher than that in the water. Although biofilms could decrease ARGs in the surrounding water by enriching ARB, the intricate network structure of biofilms further facilitated the proliferation of ARB and the dissemination of ARGs in water. Network analysis suggested that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes phyla were dominant and potential carriers of ARGs, contributing 69.00 % and 16.70 %, respectively. Our findings highlight that macrophytes and biofilm systems have great performance on aquaculture wastewater purification, but with high risk of ARGs. | 2023 | 37541520 |
| 6903 | 11 | 0.9994 | Heavy Metal Tolerance Genes Associated With Contaminated Sediments From an E-Waste Recycling River in Southern China. Heavy metal pollution that results from electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities has severe ecological environmental toxicity impacts on recycling areas. The distribution of heavy metals and the impact on the bacteria in these areas have received much attention. However, the diversity and composition of the microbial communities and the characteristics of heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs) in the river sediments after long-term e-waste contamination still remain unclear. In this study, eight river sediment samples along a river in a recycling area were studied for the heavy metal concentration and the microbial community composition. The microbial community consisted of 13 phyla including Firmicutes (ranging from 10.45 to 36.63%), Proteobacteria (11.76 to 32.59%), Actinobacteria (14.81 to 27.45%), and unclassified bacteria. The abundance of Firmicutes increased along with the level of contaminants, while Actinobacteria decreased. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the concentration of mercury was significantly correlated with the microbial community and species distribution, which agreed with an analysis of the potential ecological risk index. Moreover, manually curated HMRGs were established, and the HMRG analysis results according to Illumina high-throughput sequencing showed that the abundance of HMRGs was positively related to the level of contamination, demonstrating a variety of resistance mechanisms to adapt, accommodate, and live under heavy metal-contaminated conditions. These findings increase the understanding of the changes in microbial communities in e-waste recycling areas and extend our knowledge of the HMRGs involved in the recovery of the ecological environment. | 2021 | 34054770 |
| 7152 | 12 | 0.9994 | Aerosolization behavior of antimicrobial resistance in animal farms: a field study from feces to fine particulate matter. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in animal feces can be released into the atmosphere via aerosolization, posing a high health risk to farm workers. So far, little attention has been paid to the characterization of the aerosolization process. In this study, fecal and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected from 20 animal farms involving swine, cattle, layers, and broilers, and the ARGs, ARB, and human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) were loaded in these two media. The results showed that approximately 70% of ARGs, 60% of ARBs, and 43% of HPBs were found to be preferential aerosolization. The bioaerosolization index (BI) of target 30 ARGs varied from 0.04 to 460.07, and the highest value was detected from tetW. The highest BI values of erythromycin- and tetracycline-resistant bacteria were for Kocuria (13119) and Staphylococcus (24746), respectively, and the distribution of BI in the two types of dominant ARB was similar. Regarding the bioaerosolization behavior of HPB, Clostridium saccharolyticum WM1 was the most easily aerosolized pathogen in swine and broiler farms, and Brucella abortus strain CNM 20040339 had the highest value in cattle and layer farms. Notably, the highest BI values for ARGs, ARB, and HPB were universally detected on chicken farms. Most ARGs, ARB, and HPB positively correlated with animal age, stocking density, and breeding area. Temperature and relative humidity have significant effects on the aerosolization behavior of targets, and the effects of these two parameters on the same target are usually opposite. The results of this study provide a basis for a better understanding of the contribution of animal feces to airborne ARGs and HPBs in farms, as well as for controlling the transport of the fecal microbiome to the environment through the aerosolization pathway. | 2023 | 37152737 |
| 7002 | 13 | 0.9994 | Response of soil antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial communities to fresh cattle manure and organic fertilizer application. Livestock manure use in agriculture contributes to pollutants like antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacteria. This practice could potentially facilitate ARGs development in soil ecosystems. Our study aimed to explore ARGs and bacterial communities in cattle manure from Ningxia beef cattle farms with varying breeding periods. We also assessed the impact of different application rates of cattle manure compost, created by mixing manure with different growing periods, on soil's physicochemical and heavy metal properties. High-throughput PCR and sequencing were used to analyze ARGs and bacterial communities. We aimed to understand ARGs dynamics in cattle manure during breeding stages and the impact of different fertilizer application rates on soil bacteria and resistance genes. We found 212 ARGs from cattle manure, spanning tetracycline, aminoglycoside, multidrug, and MLSB categories. Relative ARGs abundance was presented across breeding stages: lactation (C1), breeding (C3), pre-fattening (C4), calving (C2), and late fattening (C5). pH, total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) presence significantly impacted ARGs quantity and microbial community structure in manure. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were the primary factor altering ARGs in manure (65.56%). Heavy metals contributed to 18.60% of ARGs changes. Manure application changed soil ARGs abundance, notably in soils with high application rates, primarily associated with aminoglycoside, multidrug and sulfonamide resistance. Soils with higher manure rates had elevated MGEs, positively correlated with most ARGs, suggesting MGEs' role in ARGs dissemination. Soil microbial community structure was influenced by fertilization, particularly with the highest application rate. Heavy metals (specifically Cd, contributing to 23.12%), microbial community changes (17.42%), and MGEs (17.38%) were the main factors affecting soil antibiotic resistance. Our study establishes a framework for understanding ARGs emergence in manure and treated soils. This informs strategies to mitigate environmental ARGs transmission and guides diverse livestock manure application and management. | 2023 | 39492397 |
| 6846 | 14 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic resistance genes in an urban river as impacted by bacterial community and physicochemical parameters. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban rivers are a serious public health concern in regions with poorly planned, rapid development. To gain insights into the predominant factors affecting the fate of ARGs in a highly polluted urban river in eastern China, a total of 285 ARGs, microbial communities, and 20 physicochemical parameters were analyzed for 17 sites. A total of 258 unique ARGs were detected using high-throughput qPCR, and the absolute abundance of total ARGs was positively correlated with total organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen concentrations (P < 0.01). ARG abundance and diversity were greatly altered by microbial community structure. Variation partitioning analysis showed that the combined effects of multiple factors contributed to the profile and dissemination of ARGs, and variation of microbial communities was the major factor affecting the distribution of ARGs. The disparate distribution of some bacteria, including Bacteroides from mammalian gastrointestinal flora, Burkholderia from zoonotic infectious diseases, and Zoogloea from wastewater treatment, indicates that the urban river was strongly influenced by point-source pollution. Results imply that microbial community shifts caused by changes in water quality may lead to the spread of ARGs, and point-source pollution in urban rivers requires greater attention to control the transfer of ARGs between environmental bacteria and pathogens. | 2017 | 28864929 |
| 7154 | 15 | 0.9994 | Deciphering the natural and anthropogenic drivers on the fate and risk of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a typical river-estuary system, China. This study conducts an in-depth assessment of the spatial distribution, ecological risks, and correlations among 12 antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and dominant microorganisms in a representative river-estuary system, classified by land use and hydrodynamic conditions. Sulfonamides and quinolones were identified as the major contaminants in surface waters, with aquaculture and healthcare wastewater responsible for over 80 % of the antibiotic load. Contrasting seasonal patterns were observed between freshwater (wet season: 215 ng/L, dry season: 99.9 ng/L) and tidal estuaries (wet season: 45.9 ng/L, dry season: 121 ng/L), attributed to antibiotic transport from terrestrial sources or coastal aquaculture areas. The estimated annual antibiotic influx into Jiaozhou Bay was 70.4 kg/year, posing a considerable threat to aquatic algae and disrupting the stability of aquatic food chain. BugBase predictions suggested that antibiotics in the environment suppressed bacteria characterized by biofilm formation (FB) and the presence of mobile elements (CME). However, ARG transmission was likely to drive the spread of CME, FB, and stress-tolerant (OST) bacteria within microbial communities. The significant positive correlations observed between sulfamethoxazole and 63 microbial genera indicate a broad distribution of microbial resistance, which exacerbates the potential for ARG accumulation and dissemination across both the bay and the Yellow Sea. | 2024 | 39357363 |
| 7138 | 16 | 0.9994 | Accumulation and translocation of antibiotic resistance genes in plants cultivated in hydroponic systems with nitrified biogas slurry. Hydroponic cultivation with biogas slurry supports nutrient recycling but raises biosafety concerns due to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study established a hydroponic system using nitrified biogas slurry to grow lettuce and cherry radish, and systematically investigated the accumulation of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), high-priority human pathogenic bacteria (HPBs), and virulence factors (VFs) in plant tissues. ARGs predominantly accumulated in roots (0.16 ∼ 0.23 copies/16S rRNA), significantly higher than in leaves (0.01 ∼ 0.11 copies/16S rRNA), with sul1 consistently enriched in the rhizosphere. Filtration pretreatment significantly reduced ARG and MGE levels in cherry radish roots by 30.78 % and 39.43 %, respectively (p < 0.05). ARGs strongly correlated with MGEs (R² = 0.97, p < 0.0001), indicating horizontal gene transfer as the key dissemination pathway. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed synergistic enrichment of ARGs and MGEs with HPBs and VFs, highlighting Acinetobacter baumannii and Streptococcus pneumoniae as potential core hosts. These findings demonstrate that ARG accumulation and spread in plants are affected by slurry treatment, plant species, and tissue specificity. While filtration mitigates risks, persistent ARGs in roots necessitate further monitoring. This study informs safe reuse strategies for biogas slurry in agriculture. | 2025 | 41076908 |
| 6870 | 17 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic resistome in landfill leachate and impact on groundwater. Landfill leachate is a hotspot in antibiotic resistance development. However, little is known about antibiotic resistome and host pathogens in leachate and their effects on surrounding groundwater. Here, metagenomic sequencing was used to explore profiles, host bacteria, environmental risks and influencing factors of antibiotic resistome in raw and treated leachate and surrounding groundwater of three landfills. Results showed detection of a total of 324 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The ARGs conferring resistance to multidrug (8.8 %-25.7 %), aminoglycoside (13.1 %-39.2 %), sulfonamide (10.0 %-20.9 %), tetracycline (5.7 %-34.4 %) and macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS, 5.3 %-29.5 %) were dominant in raw leachate, while multidrug resistance genes were the major ARGs in treated leachate (64.1 %-83.0 %) and groundwater (28.7 %-76.6 %). Source tracking analysis suggests non-negligible influence of leachate on the ARGs in groundwater. The pathogens including Acinetobacter pittii, Pseudomonas stutzeri and P. alcaligenes were the major ARG-carrying hosts. Variance partitioning analysis indicates that the microbial community, abiotic variables and their interaction contributed most to the antibiotic resistance development. Our results shed light on the dissemination and driving mechanisms of ARGs from leachate to the groundwater, indicating that a comprehensive risk assessment and efficient treatment approaches are needed to deal with ARGs in landfill leachate and nearby groundwater. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS: Antibiotic resistance genes are found abundant in the landfill sites, and these genes could be disseminated into groundwater via leaching of wastewater and infiltration of leachate. This results in deterioration of groundwater quality and human health risks posed by these ARGs and related pathogens. Thus measures should be taken to minimize potential negative impacts of landfills on the surrounding environment. | 2024 | 38547976 |
| 7045 | 18 | 0.9994 | The formation mechanism of antibiotic-resistance genes associated with bacterial communities during biological decomposition of household garbage. Food wastes are significant reservoir of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) available for exchange with clinical pathogens. However, food wastes-related changes of antibiotic resistance in long-period decomposition have been overlooked. Here, we evaluated the comprehensive ARG profile and its association with microbial communities, explained how this might vary with household garbage decomposition. Average of 128, 150 and 91 ARGs were detected in meat, vegetable and fruit wastes, respectively, with multidrug and tetracycline as the predominant ARG types. ARG abundance significantly increased at initial stage of waste fermentation and then decreased. High abundance of Eubacterium-coprostanoligenes, Sporanaerobacter, Peptoniphilus, Peptostreptococcus might be explained for the high relative abundance of ARGs in meat, while high abundance of Advenella, Prevotella, Solobacterium was attributed to the high diversity of ARGs in vegetables. Significant correlations were observed among volatile organic compounds, mobile genetic elements and ARGs, implying that they might contribute to transfer and transport of ARGs. Network analysis revealed that aph(2')-Id-01, acrA-05, tetO-1 were potential ARG indicators, while Hathewaya, Paraclostridium and Prevotellaceae were possible hosts of ARGs. Our work might unveil underlining mechanism of the effects of food wastes decomposition on development and spread of ARGs in environment and also clues to ARG mitigation. | 2020 | 32492618 |
| 6848 | 19 | 0.9994 | Swine farming elevated the proliferation of Acinetobacter with the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the groundwater. Swine farming generates a large amount of wastes containing various contaminants, resulting in environmental contamination and human health problems. Here we investigated the contamination profiles of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as microbial community in groundwater of the two villages with or without swine farms, and then assessed the human exposure risks of antibiotics, ARGs and indicator bacteria through drinking groundwater. The results showed that swine farming could lead to enhanced concentration levels of various veterinary antibiotics and ARGs in the groundwater in comparison to the reference village without swine farming. The microbial diversity of groundwater was significantly decreased with predominance of conditional pathogens Acinetobacter (up to 90%) in some wells of the swine farming village. Meanwhile, the abundance of Acinetobacter was significantly correlated to bacterial abundance, ARGs and integrons. The local residents could ingest various antibiotic residues and ARGs as well as pathogens, with daily intake of Acinetobacter up to approximately 10 billion CFU/resident through drinking groundwater contaminated by swine farming. The findings from this study suggest potential health risks of changing gut microbial community and resistome by drinking contaminated groundwater. | 2020 | 31999967 |