Journal
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Volume 99, Issue 9, Pages 3971-3980Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6404-9
Keywords
Antibiotic; Antibacterial residue; Heavy metal; Erythromycin resistance gene; Urban wastewater
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [51178093, 51208086]
- Shanghai Pujiang Program [13PJ1400100]
- DHU Distinguished Young Professor Program
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
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Antibiotic resistance is a global challenge and represents a growing threat on human health worldwide. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are generally considered as hotspots for control and/or dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The role of antibiotics, antibacterial residues, and heavy metals played on the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance is still not well understood. Here, the occurrence of antibiotics (i.e., macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and quinolones), antibacterial residues (i.e., triclosan), as well as heavy metals (i.e., cadmium, chromium, copper, zinc, lead, and nickel) in urban wastewater was investigated. Also, the abundances of erythromycin resistance genes (ERY-ARGs) including ere(A), ere(B), mef(A)/mef(E), erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), and msr(A)/msr(B) genes were screened. A relationship between certain antibiotics, antibacterial residues, and heavy metals and ERY-ARGs was demonstrated. ERY presented significant correlations (0.883 < r < 0.929, P < 0.05) with ere(A), ere(B), and mef(A)/mef(E) genes, while tetracycline exhibited a significant correlation (r=0.829, P < 0.05) with erm(B) genes. It is noteworthy that triclosan correlated significantly (0.859 < r < 0.956, P < 0.05) with ere(A), ere(B), mef(A)/mef(E), and erm(B) genes. In addition, significantly positive correlations (0.823 < r < 0.871, P < 0.05) were observed between zinc and lead and certain ERY-ARGs (i.e., ere(B), mef(A)/mef(E), erm(B), etc.). Further investigations should be involved to elucidate the co-selection and/or cross-selection mechanisms due to co-existence of these selective factors in urban wastewater.
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