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Bünemann EK, Reimer M, Smolders E, Smith SR, Bigalke M, Palmqvist A, Brandt KK, Möller K, Harder R, Hermann L, Speiser B, Oudshoorn F, Løes AK, Magid J. Do contaminants compromise the use of recycled nutrients in organic agriculture? A review and synthesis of current knowledge on contaminant concentrations, fate in the environment and risk assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168901. [PMID: 38042198 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Use of nutrients recycled from societal waste streams in agriculture is part of the circular economy, and in line with organic farming principles. Nevertheless, diverse contaminants in waste streams create doubts among organic farmers about potential risks for soil health. Here, we gather the current knowledge on contaminant levels in waste streams and recycled nutrient sources, and discuss associated risks. For potentially toxic elements (PTEs), the input of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) from mineral feed supplements remains of concern, while concentrations of PTEs in many waste streams have decreased substantially in Europe. The same applies to organic contaminants, although new chemical groups such as flame retardants are of emerging concern and globally contamination levels differ strongly. Compared to inorganic fertilizers, application of organic fertilizers derived from human or animal feces is associated with an increased risk for environmental dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The risk depends on the quality of the organic fertilizers, which varies between geographical regions, but farmland application of sewage sludge appears to be a safe practice as shown by some studies (e.g. from Sweden). Microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils show a wide spread and our understanding of its toxicity is limited, hampering a sound risk assessment. Methods for assessing public health risks for organic contaminants must include emerging contaminants and potential interactions of multiple compounds. Evidence from long-term field experiments suggests that soils may be more resilient and capable to degrade or stabilize pollutants than often assumed. In view of the need to source nutrients for expanding areas under organic farming, we discuss inputs originating from conventional farms vs. non-agricultural (i.e. societal) inputs. Closing nutrient cycles between agriculture and society is feasible in many cases, without being compromised by contaminants, and should be enhanced, aided by improved source control, waste treatment and sound risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- E K Bünemann
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland.
| | - M Reimer
- University of Hohenheim, Department of Fertilization and Soil Matter Dynamics, Fruwirthstr. 20, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Aarhus University, Department of Agroecology, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - E Smolders
- Division Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - S R Smith
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - M Bigalke
- Department of Soil Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry, Institute for Applied Geosciences, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 9, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - A Palmqvist
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - K K Brandt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - K Möller
- University of Hohenheim, Department of Fertilization and Soil Matter Dynamics, Fruwirthstr. 20, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - R Harder
- Environmental Engineering Group, Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - L Hermann
- Proman Management GmbH, Weingartenstrasse 92, 2214 Auersthal, Austria
| | - B Speiser
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
| | - F Oudshoorn
- Innovation Centre for Organic Farming (ICOEL), Agro Food Park 26, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - A K Løes
- Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (NORSØK), Gunnars veg 6, N-6630 Tingvoll, Norway
| | - J Magid
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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2
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Ning Y, Wang S, Sun Y, Zhang S, Wen Y, Zou D, Zhou D. Deciphering survival strategies: Oxidative stress and microbial interplay in Eisenia fetida under tetracycline contamination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168647. [PMID: 37977382 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Soil contamination resulting from residual antibiotics presents a pressing need to understand the survival mechanisms of soil organisms in polluted environments. This study focused on Eisenia fetida, and tetracycline stress experiments were conducted in a controlled environment using sterile artificial soil. The stress concentration ranged from 0 to 600 mg/kg, and stress cycles lasted either 10 or 30 days. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of oxidative stress and the changes in microbial communities both within and outside the earthworms. A comprehensive mathematical model was developed to elucidate the responses of organisms following exposure to stress utilizing factor analysis, grey relational analysis, and hierarchical entropy weight analysis. Under tetracycline stress, the initial stage (1-3 days) exhibited a coordinated regulation of oxidative stress and microbial communities in the soil with the assistance of CAT and GPX enzymes. The subsequent stage (4-5 days) further emphasized the influence of soil microbial communities. A notable "feedback regulation" of soil microbial communities on oxidative stress was observed during the third stage (6-8 days). Earthworms maintained a metabolic balance in the fourth stage (9-10 days). In the long term, the stress-induced a self-detoxification mechanism within soil microbial communities, which collaborated with GPX to respond to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucui Ning
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Siqi Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Yuting Sun
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Shengwei Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yifan Wen
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Detang Zou
- College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Dongxing Zhou
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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3
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Zhang D, Li X, Li H, Xu Y. Microbial inoculants enhance the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in aerobic compost of food waste mainly by altering interspecific relationships. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023:129443. [PMID: 37399957 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The effects of microbial inoculants on ARG removal in composting are poorly understood. Here, a co-composting method for food waste and sawdust amended with different microbial agents (MAs) was designed. The results show that the compost without MA unexpectedly achieved the best ARG removal. The addition of MAs markedly increased the abundance of tet, sul and multidrug resistance genes (p < 0.05). Structural equation modeling demonstrated that MAs can enhance the contribution of the microbial community to ARG changes by reshaping community structure and altering the ecological niche, causing the proliferation of individual ARGs, an effect related to the MA component. Network analysis revealed that inoculants weakened the correlation between ARGs and community but increased the linkage between ARGs and core species, suggesting that inoculant-induced ARG proliferation may correspond with gene exchange occurring mainly between core species. The outcome provides new insights into MA application for ARG removal in waste treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China; College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China
| | - Houyu Li
- Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China.
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4
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Shi M, Zhao Z, Wang X, Li H, Gu J, Song Z, Hu T, Sun Y, Wang H. Profiles and key drivers of bacteria/phage co-mediated antibiotic resistance genes during swine manure composting amended with humic acid. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 374:128721. [PMID: 36774987 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Phages can promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural environments through transduction. However, studies on phage-mediated ARG profiles during composting have not been performed. This study investigated the effects of adding humic acid (HA) on the abundances of bacteria/phage co-mediated ARGs (b/pARGs) during swine manure composting and the key factors that affected the transmission of b/pARGs. The results showed that the addition of 5 % HA during composting could effectively reduce the absolute abundances of b/pARGs, inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Corynebacterium and Streptococcus) that carried ARGs, and ultimately affect the fate of b/pARGs in the composting process by regulating key environmental factors to change the abundance of co-host bacteria. Overall, the findings of this study provided new information for understanding the main driving factors affecting the b/pARGs profile and provided a reference for the prevention and control of ARGs pollution during composting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Shi
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zixuan Zhao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Huakang Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jie Gu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zilin Song
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ting Hu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yifan Sun
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Han Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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5
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Nnorom MA, Saroj D, Avery L, Hough R, Guo B. A review of the impact of conductive materials on antibiotic resistance genes during the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge and animal manure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 446:130628. [PMID: 36586329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The urgent need to reduce the environmental burden of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become even more apparent as concerted efforts are made globally to tackle the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Concerning levels of ARGs abound in sewage sludge and animal manure, and their inadequate attenuation during conventional anaerobic digestion (AD) compromises the safety of the digestate, a nutrient-rich by-product of AD commonly recycled to agricultural land for improvement of soil quality. Exogenous ARGs introduced into the natural environment via the land application of digestate can be transferred from innocuous environmental bacteria to clinically relevant bacteria by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and may eventually reach humans through food, water, and air. This review, therefore, discusses the prospects of using carbon- and iron-based conductive materials (CMs) as additives to mitigate the proliferation of ARGs during the AD of sewage sludge and animal manure. The review spotlights the core mechanisms underpinning the influence of CMs on the resistome profile, the steps to maximize ARG attenuation using CMs, and the current knowledge gaps. Data and information gathered indicate that CMs can profoundly reduce the abundance of ARGs in the digestate by easing selective pressure on ARGs, altering microbial community structure, and diminishing HGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mac-Anthony Nnorom
- Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering (CEHE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Devendra Saroj
- Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering (CEHE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Avery
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
| | - Rupert Hough
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
| | - Bing Guo
- Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering (CEHE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
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6
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Hung WC, Miao Y, Truong N, Jones A, Mahendra S, Jay J. Tracking antibiotic resistance through the environment near a biosolid spreading ground: Resistome changes, distribution, and metal(loid) co-selection. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 823:153570. [PMID: 35121038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The application of urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) products to agricultural lands has contributed to the rising level of antibiotic resistance and drawn a critical public health concern. It has not been thoroughly investigated at which spatial scales a biosolid applied area as a potentially predominant source affects surrounding soil resistomes. This study investigated distribution and impact of WWTP biosolids treated with anaerobic digestion on an agricultural area. Heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed for detection of selected antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), selected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), intI1 genes, and 16S rRNA genes. Biosolid samples contained significantly higher levels of selected ARGs than the raw agricultural soils (p < 0.05). The average relative abundances of intI1, sul1, blaSHV, and ermB genes were significantly higher in biosolid-amended soils than nearby agricultural soils (p < 0.05). Spatial interpolation analysis of relative gene abundances of intI1, sul1, sul2, and tetW across the studied area further indicated directional trends towards the northwest and southeast directions, highlighting possible airborne spread. Concentrations of Co, Cu, Ni, and Fe were found to be significantly and positively correlated with relative abundances of intI1, sul1, and tetW genes (p < 0.05). The resistance ratios of culturable antibiotic-resistant bacteria in agricultural soils with biosolid amendments were generally identical to those without biosolid amendments. This study will advance the understanding of the antibiotic resistome in agricultural soils impacted by long-term waste reuse and inform the evaluation strategies for future biosolids application and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Cheng Hung
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yu Miao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nhi Truong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Adriane Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA
| | - Shaily Mahendra
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer Jay
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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7
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Scott A, Murray R, Tien YC, Topp E. Contamination of hay and haylage with enteric bacteria and selected antibiotic resistance genes following fertilization with dairy manure or biosolids. Can J Microbiol 2022; 68:249-257. [PMID: 35020524 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2021-0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study evaluated if enteric bacteria or antibiotic resistance genes carried in fecal amendments contaminate the hay at harvest, representing a potential route of exposure to ruminants that consume the hay. In field experiments, dairy manure was applied to a hay field for three successive growing seasons, and biosolids applied to a hay field for one growing season. Various enteric bacteria in the amendments were enumerated by viable plate count, and selected gene targets were quantified by qPCR. Key findings include the following: At harvest, hay receiving dairy manure or biosolids did not carry more viable enteric bacteria than did hay from unamended control plots. Fermentation of hay did not result in a detectable increase in viable enteric bacteria. The application of dairy manure or biosolids did result in a few gene targets being more abundant on hay at the first harvest. Fermentation of hay did result in an increase in the abundance of gene targets, but this occurred both with hay from amended and control plots. Overall, application of fecal amendments will result in an increase in the abundance of some gene targets associated with antibiotic resistance on first cut hay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Scott
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6337, London, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Roger Murray
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6337, London, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Yuan-Ching Tien
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6337, London, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6337, London, Canada;
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8
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Li M, Song G, Liu R, Huang X, Liu H. Inactivation and risk control of pathogenic microorganisms in municipal sludge treatment: A review. FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2022; 16:70. [PMID: 34608423 PMCID: PMC8482957 DOI: 10.1007/s11783-021-1504-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The rapid global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has promoted concern over human pathogens and their significant threats to public health security. The monitoring and control of human pathogens in public sanitation and health facilities are of great importance. Excessive sludge is an inevitable byproduct of sewage that contains human and animal feces in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It is an important sink of different pollutants and pathogens, and the proper treatment and disposal of sludge are important to minimize potential risks to the environment and public health. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of the diversity, exposure risks, assessment methods and inactivation techniques of pathogenic microorganisms in sludge. Based on this consideration, this review summarizes the control performance of pathogenic microorganisms such as enterovirus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli by different sludge treatment technologies, including composting, anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and microwave irradiation, and the mechanisms of pathogenic microorganism inactivation in sludge treatment processes are discussed. Additionally, this study reviews the diversity, detection methods, and exposure risks of pathogenic microorganisms in sludge. This review advances the quantitative assessment of pathogenic microorganism risks involved in sludge reuse and is practically valuable to optimize the treatment and disposal of sludge for pathogenic microorganism control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengtian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Ge Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Ruiping Liu
- Center for Water and Ecology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Xia Huang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Huijuan Liu
- Center for Water and Ecology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
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9
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Subirats J, Murray R, Yin X, Zhang T, Topp E. Impact of chicken litter pre-application treatment on the abundance, field persistence, and transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to vegetables. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 801:149718. [PMID: 34425441 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Treatment of manures prior to land application can potentially reduce the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and thus the risk of contaminating crops or water resources. In this study, raw and composted chicken litter were applied to field plots that were cropped to carrots, lettuce and radishes. Vegetables were washed per normal culinary practice before downstream analysis. The impact of composting on manure microbial composition, persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in soil following application, and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria on washed vegetables were determined. A subset of samples that were thought likely to reveal the most significant effects were chosen for shotgun sequencing. The absolute abundance of all target genes detected by qPCR decreased after composting except sul1, intI1, incW and erm(F) that remained stable. The shotgun sequencing revealed that some integron integrases were enriched by composting. Composting significantly reduced the abundance of enteric bacteria, including those carrying antibiotic resistance. Manure-amended soil showed significantly higher abundances of sul1, str(A), str(B), erm(B), aad(A), intI1 and incW compared to unmanured soil. At harvest, those genes that were detected in soil samples before the application of manure (intI1, sul1, strA and strB) were quantifiable by qPCR on vegetables, with a larger number of gene targets detected on the radishes than in the carrots or lettuce. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing suggested that the increase of antibiotic resistance genes on radishes produced in soil receiving raw manure may be due to changes to soil microbial communities following manure application, rather than transfer to the radishes of enteric bacteria. Overall, under field conditions there was limited evidence for transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from composted or raw manure to vegetables that then persisted through washing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Subirats
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roger Murray
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaole Yin
- Environmental Biotechnology Lab, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Biotechnology Lab, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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10
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Shamsizadeh Z, Ehrampoush MH, Nikaeen M, Mokhtari M, Gwenzi W, Khanahmad H. Antibiotic resistance and class 1 integron genes distribution in irrigation water-soil-crop continuum as a function of irrigation water sources. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 289:117930. [PMID: 34391043 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The increasing demand for fresh water coupled with the need to recycle water and nutrients has witnessed a global increase in wastewater irrigation. However, the development of antibiotic resistance hotspots in different environmental compartments, as a result of wastewater reuse is becoming a global health concern. The effect of irrigation water sources (wastewater, surface water, fresh water) on the presence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) (blaCTX-m-32, tet-W, sul1, cml-A, and erm-B) and class 1 integrons (intI1) were investigated in the irrigation water-soil-crop continuum using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Sul1 and blaCTX-m-32 were the most and least abundant ARGs in three environments, respectively. The abundance of ARGs and intI1 significantly decreased from wastewater to surface water and then fresh water. However, irrigation water sources had no significant effect on the abundance of ARGs and intI1 in soil and crop samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that UV index and air temperature attenuate the abundance of ARGs and intI1 in crop samples whereas the air humidity and soil electrical conductivity (EC) promotes the ARGs and intI1. So that the climate condition of semi-arid regions significantly affects the abundance of ARGs and intI1 in crop samples. The results suggest that treated wastewater might be safely reused in agricultural practice in semi-arid regions without a significant increase of potential health risks associated with ARGs transfer to the food chain. However, further research is needed for understanding and managing ARGs transfer from the agricultural ecosystem to humans through the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Shamsizadeh
- Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush
- Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Nikaeen
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Mokhtari
- Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Willis Gwenzi
- Biosystems and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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11
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Uluseker C, Kaster KM, Thorsen K, Basiry D, Shobana S, Jain M, Kumar G, Kommedal R, Pala-Ozkok I. A Review on Occurrence and Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Wastewaters and in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Mechanisms and Perspectives. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:717809. [PMID: 34707579 PMCID: PMC8542863 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.717809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews current knowledge on sources, spread and removal mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial communities of wastewaters, treatment plants and downstream recipients. Antibiotic is the most important tool to cure bacterial infections in humans and animals. The over- and misuse of antibiotics have played a major role in the development, spread, and prevalence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in the microbiomes of humans and animals, and microbial ecosystems worldwide. AR can be transferred and spread amongst bacteria via intra- and interspecies horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) receive wastewater containing an enormous variety of pollutants, including antibiotics, and chemicals from different sources. They contain large and diverse communities of microorganisms and provide a favorable environment for the spread and reproduction of AR. Existing WWTPs are not designed to remove micropollutants, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs, which therefore remain present in the effluent. Studies have shown that raw and treated wastewaters carry a higher amount of ARB in comparison to surface water, and such reports have led to further studies on more advanced treatment processes. This review summarizes what is known about AR removal efficiencies of different wastewater treatment methods, and it shows the variations among different methods. Results vary, but the trend is that conventional activated sludge treatment, with aerobic and/or anaerobic reactors alone or in series, followed by advanced post treatment methods like UV, ozonation, and oxidation removes considerably more ARGs and ARB than activated sludge treatment alone. In addition to AR levels in treated wastewater, it examines AR levels in biosolids, settled by-product from wastewater treatment, and discusses AR removal efficiency of different biosolids treatment procedures. Finally, it puts forward key-points and suggestions for dealing with and preventing further increase of AR in WWTPs and other aquatic environments, together with a discussion on the use of mathematical models to quantify and simulate the spread of ARGs in WWTPs. Mathematical models already play a role in the analysis and development of WWTPs, but they do not consider AR and challenges remain before models can be used to reliably study the dynamics and reduction of AR in such systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cansu Uluseker
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Krista Michelle Kaster
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Kristian Thorsen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Daniel Basiry
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Sutha Shobana
- Department of Chemistry and Research Centre, Aditanar College of Arts and Science, Tiruchendur, India
| | - Monika Jain
- Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Forestry, Banda University of Agricultural and Technology, Banda, India
| | - Gopalakrishnan Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Roald Kommedal
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Ilke Pala-Ozkok
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
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Azithromycin and Ciprofloxacin Can Promote Antibiotic Resistance in Biosolids and Biosolids-Amended Soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0037321. [PMID: 34085858 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00373-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spread of biosolids-borne antibiotic resistance is a growing public and environmental health concern. Herein, we conducted incubation experiments involving biosolids, which are byproducts of sewage treatment processes, and biosolids-amended soil. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to assess responses of select antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile elements to environmentally relevant concentrations of two biosolids-borne antibiotics, azithromycin (AZ) and ciprofloxacin (CIP). Additionally, we examined sequence distribution of gyrA (encoding DNA gyrase; site of action of CIP) to assess potential shifts in genotype. Increasing antibiotic concentrations generally increased the transcriptional activities of qnrS (encoding CIP resistance) and ermB and mefE (encoding AZ resistance). The transcriptional activity of intl1, a marker of class 1 integrons, was unaffected by CIP or AZ concentrations, but biosolids amendment increased intl1 activity in the soil by 4 to 5 times, which persisted throughout incubation. While the dominant gyrA sequences found herein were unrelated to known CIP-resistant genotypes, the increasing CIP concentrations significantly decreased the diversity of genes encoding the DNA gyrase A subunit, suggesting changes in microbial community structures. This study suggests that biosolids harbor transcriptionally active ARGs and mobile elements that could survive and spread in biosolids-amended soils. However, more research is warranted to investigate these trends under field conditions. IMPORTANCE Although previous studies have indicated that biosolids may be important spreaders of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environments, the potential activities of ARGs or their responses to environmental parameters have been understudied. This study highlights that certain biosolids-borne antibiotics can induce transcriptional activities of ARGs and mobile genetic elements in biosolids and biosolids-amended soil, even when present at environmentally relevant concentrations. Furthermore, these antibiotics can alter the structure of microbial populations expressing ARGs. Our findings indicate the bioavailability of the antibiotics in biosolids and provide evidence that biosolids can promote the activities and dissemination of ARGs and mobile genes in biosolids and soils that receive contaminated biosolids, thus, underscoring the importance of investigating anthropogenically induced antibiotic resistance in the environment under real-world scenarios.
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Koutsoumanis K, Allende A, Álvarez‐Ordóñez A, Bolton D, Bover‐Cid S, Chemaly M, Davies R, De Cesare A, Herman L, Hilbert F, Lindqvist R, Nauta M, Ru G, Simmons M, Skandamis P, Suffredini E, Argüello H, Berendonk T, Cavaco LM, Gaze W, Schmitt H, Topp E, Guerra B, Liébana E, Stella P, Peixe L. Role played by the environment in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the food chain. EFSA J 2021; 19:e06651. [PMID: 34178158 PMCID: PMC8210462 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of food-producing environments in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in EU plant-based food production, terrestrial animals (poultry, cattle and pigs) and aquaculture was assessed. Among the various sources and transmission routes identified, fertilisers of faecal origin, irrigation and surface water for plant-based food and water for aquaculture were considered of major importance. For terrestrial animal production, potential sources consist of feed, humans, water, air/dust, soil, wildlife, rodents, arthropods and equipment. Among those, evidence was found for introduction with feed and humans, for the other sources, the importance could not be assessed. Several ARB of highest priority for public health, such as carbapenem or extended-spectrum cephalosporin and/or fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterobacterales (including Salmonella enterica), fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis were identified. Among highest priority ARGs bla CTX -M, bla VIM, bla NDM, bla OXA -48-like, bla OXA -23, mcr, armA, vanA, cfr and optrA were reported. These highest priority bacteria and genes were identified in different sources, at primary and post-harvest level, particularly faeces/manure, soil and water. For all sectors, reducing the occurrence of faecal microbial contamination of fertilisers, water, feed and the production environment and minimising persistence/recycling of ARB within animal production facilities is a priority. Proper implementation of good hygiene practices, biosecurity and food safety management systems is very important. Potential AMR-specific interventions are in the early stages of development. Many data gaps relating to sources and relevance of transmission routes, diversity of ARB and ARGs, effectiveness of mitigation measures were identified. Representative epidemiological and attribution studies on AMR and its effective control in food production environments at EU level, linked to One Health and environmental initiatives, are urgently required.
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Law A, Solano O, Brown CJ, Hunter SS, Fagnan M, Top EM, Stalder T. Biosolids as a Source of Antibiotic Resistance Plasmids for Commensal and Pathogenic Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:606409. [PMID: 33967971 PMCID: PMC8098119 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.606409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a threat to modern medicine, and plasmids are driving the global spread of AR by horizontal gene transfer across microbiomes and environments. Determining the mobile resistome responsible for this spread of AR among environments is essential in our efforts to attenuate the current crisis. Biosolids are a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) byproduct used globally as fertilizer in agriculture. Here, we investigated the mobile resistome of biosolids that are used as fertilizer. This was done by capturing resistance plasmids that can transfer to human pathogens and commensal bacteria. We used a higher-throughput version of the exogenous plasmid isolation approach by mixing several ESKAPE pathogens and a commensal Escherichia coli with biosolids and screening for newly acquired resistance to about 10 antibiotics in these strains. Six unique resistance plasmids transferred to Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella aerogenes, and E. coli. All the plasmids were self-transferable and carried 3-6 antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) conferring resistance to 2-4 antibiotic classes. These plasmids-borne resistance genes were further embedded in genetic elements promoting intracellular recombination (i.e., transposons or class 1 integrons). The plasmids belonged to the broad-host-range plasmid (BHR) groups IncP-1 or PromA. Several of them were persistent in their new hosts when grown in the absence of antibiotics, suggesting that the newly acquired drug resistance traits would be sustained over time. This study highlights the role of BHRs in the spread of ARG between environmental bacteria and human pathogens and commensals, where they may persist. The work further emphasizes biosolids as potential vehicles of highly mobile plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Law
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Olubunmi Solano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Celeste J. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Samuel S. Hunter
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- UC-Davis Genome Center, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Matt Fagnan
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Eva M. Top
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Thibault Stalder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
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Wang Q, Xu Y, Liu L, Li LY, Lin H, Wu XY, Bi WJ, Wang LT, Mao DQ, Luo Y. The prevalence of ampicillin-resistant opportunistic pathogenic bacteria undergoing selective stress of heavy metal pollutants in the Xiangjiang River, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 268:115362. [PMID: 33035873 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of clinically relevant β-lactam-resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to human health and presents a major challenge for medical treatment. How opportunistic pathogenic bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogenic bacteria in the environment are still unclear. In this study, we further confirmed that the selective pressure of heavy metals contributes to the increase in ampicillin-resistant opportunistic pathogens in the Xiangjiang River. Four ampicillin-resistant opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas monteilii, Aeromonas hydrophila, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were isolated on Luria-Bertani (LB) agar plates and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. The abundance of these opportunistic pathogenic bacteria significantly increased in the sites downstream of the Xiangjiang River that were heavily influenced by metal mining activities. A microcosm experiment showed that the abundance of β-lactam resistance genes carried by opportunistic pathogenic bacteria in the heavy metal (Cu2+ and Zn2+) treatment group was 2-10 times higher than that in the control. Moreover, heavy metals (Cu2+ and Zn2+) significantly increased the horizontal transfer of plasmids in pathogenic bacteria. Of particular interest is that heavy metals facilitated the horizontal transfer of conjugative plasmids, which may lead to the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the Xiangjiang River.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact (preparatory), Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Lei Liu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Lin-Yun Li
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Huai Lin
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Xin-Yan Wu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wen-Jing Bi
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Li-Tao Wang
- College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact (preparatory), Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Da-Qing Mao
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yi Luo
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
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Turcotte C, Thibodeau A, Quessy S, Topp E, Beauchamp G, Fravalo P, Archambault M, Gaucher ML. Impacts of Short-Term Antibiotic Withdrawal and Long-Term Judicious Antibiotic Use on Resistance Gene Abundance and Cecal Microbiota Composition on Commercial Broiler Chicken Farms in Québec. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:547181. [PMID: 33409294 PMCID: PMC7779680 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.547181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ever-increasing problem of antibiotic resistance makes routine use of antibiotics in animal production no longer considered as a reasonable and viable practice. The Chicken Farmers of Canada have developed and are implementing an Antimicrobial Use Reduction Strategy, which has the ultimate goal of eliminating the preventive use of medically important antibiotics in broiler chicken and turkey production. However, very little is known about the real overall impact of an antibiotic use reduction strategy in complex ecosystems, such as the bird intestine or the commercial broiler chicken farm. The main objectives of the present study were to compare the abundance of antibiotic resistance-encoding genes, characterize the intestinal microbiota composition, and evaluate the presence of Clostridium perfringens, in six commercial poultry farms adopting short-term antibiotic withdrawal and long-term judicious use strategy. Implementing an antibiotic-free program over a 15-months period did not reduce the abundance of many antibiotic resistance-encoding genes, whereas the judicious use of antibiotics over 6 years was found effective. The short-term antibiotic withdrawal and the long-term judicious use strategy altered the intestinal microbiota composition, with the Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae families being negatively impacted. These findings are in agreement with the lower production performance and with the increased C. perfringens populations observed for farms phasing out the use of antibiotics. Adopting a conventional rearing program on commercial broiler chicken farms selected for specific antibiotic resistance-encoding genes in many barns. This study highlights the potential impacts of different rearing programs in poultry production and will help guide future policies in order to reduce the use of antibiotics while maintaining production performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Turcotte
- Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandre Thibodeau
- Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvain Quessy
- Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Edward Topp
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Guy Beauchamp
- Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Philippe Fravalo
- Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Pôle Agroalimentaire du Cnam, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
| | - Marie Archambault
- Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Lou Gaucher
- Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
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You R, Margenat A, Lanzas CS, Cañameras N, Carazo N, Navarro-Martín L, Matamoros V, Bayona JM, Díez S. Dose effect of Zn and Cu in sludge-amended soils on vegetable uptake of trace elements, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes: Human health implications. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:109879. [PMID: 32841899 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The application of sewage sludge to agricultural fields reduces the need for mineral fertilizers by increasing soil organic matter, but may also increase soil pollution. Previous studies indicate that zinc and copper, as the most abundant elements in sewage sludge, affect plant uptake of other contaminants. This paper aims to investigate and compare the effect of increasing amounts of Zn and Cu in sludge-amended soils on the accumulation of trace elements (TEs), antibiotics (ABs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in lettuce and radish. The vegetables were grown under controlled conditions, and the influence on plant physiology and human health were also evaluated. The results show that the addition of Zn and Cu significantly increased the concentration of TEs in the edible tissue of both vegetables. According to the hazard quotient (HQ) of the TEs, the human health risk increased 2 to 3 times and was 3-4 times greater in lettuce than in radish. In contrast to the TEs, the occurrence of ABs and most of the ARGs was higher in radish roots than lettuce leaves. ABs were not detected in lettuce leaves, and the amount of all ARGs except blaTEM was 10 times lower than in radish roots. On the other hand, the addition of Zn and Cu had no significant effect on the occurrence of ABs and ARGs in the edible part of the vegetables, and no damage was found to plant productivity or physiology. The results show that the consumption of lettuce and radish grown in sewage-sludge-amended soils under tested doses of Cu and Zn does not pose an adverse human health effect, as the total HQ value was always less than 1, and the presence of ABs and ARGs was not found to have any potential impact. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to estimate the long-term effect on human health of crops grown under frequent application of biosolids in arable soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui You
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Margenat
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudia Sanz Lanzas
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Cañameras
- Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology DEAB-UPC, Esteve Terrades 8, Building 4, E-08860, Castelldefels, Spain
| | - Núria Carazo
- Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology DEAB-UPC, Esteve Terrades 8, Building 4, E-08860, Castelldefels, Spain
| | - Laia Navarro-Martín
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Víctor Matamoros
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Bayona
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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Sun J, Jin L, He T, Wei Z, Liu X, Zhu L, Li X. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural soils from the Yangtze River Delta, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 740:140001. [PMID: 32569910 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
As an important reservoir of intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, soil is subjected to increasing anthropogenic activities that creates sustained selection pressure for the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thus constituting an important environmental dissemination pathway to human exposure. This study investigated the levels and spatial distributions of three classes of ARGs in relation to a range of co-occurring chemical mixtures and soil properties at a regional scale of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. The selected eight ARGs were all detected in 241 agricultural soil samples with relative abundances ranging from 1.01 × 10-7 to 2.31 × 10-1 normalized to the 16S rRNA gene. The sulII and tetG were the dominant ARGs with a mean relative abundance of 6.67 × 10-3 and 5.25 × 10-3, respectively. The ARGs were mainly present in agricultural soils alongside Taihu Lake and Shanghai municipality, the most agriculturally and economically vibrant area of the YRD region. Antibiotics, rather than other co-occurring pollutants and soil properties, remain to be the dominant correlate to the ARGs, suggesting their co-introduction into the soils via irrigation and manure application or the sustained selection pressure of antibiotics from these sources for the proliferation of ARGs in the soils. While the current dataset provided useful information to assess the ARGs pollution for mitigation, future studies are warranted to reveal the complete picture on the potential transfer of antimicrobial resistance from soil to agricultural produces to human consumption and associated health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianteng Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, Guangdong 525000, China; Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Ling Jin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Tangtian He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Zi Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, Guangdong 525000, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, Guangdong 525000, China
| | - Lizhong Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
| | - Xiangdong Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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Characterization of Clostridium Perfringens Isolates Collected from Three Agricultural Biogas Plants over a One-Year Period. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17155450. [PMID: 32751104 PMCID: PMC7432756 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Digestate produced by agricultural biogas plants (BGPs) may contain pathogenic bacteria. Among them, Clostridium perfringens deserves particular attention due to its ability to grow under anaerobic conditions and persist in amended soil. The aim of this study was to examine the potential pathogenicity and the antimicrobial resistance of C. perfringens in manure and digestate collected from three agricultural biogas plants (BGPs). A total of 157 isolates (92 from manure, 65 from digestate) were screened for genes encoding seven toxins (cpa, cpb, etx, iapcpe, netB, and cpb2). The 138 cpa positive isolates were then screened for tetA(P), tetB(P), tet(M), and erm(Q) genes and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. The toxinotypes identified in both manure and digestate were type A (78.3% of the isolates), type G (16.7%), type C (3.6%), and type D (1.4%), whereas none of the isolates were type F. Moreover, half of the isolates carried the cpb2 gene. The overall prevalence of tetA(P) gene alone, tetA(P)-tetB(P) genes, and erm(Q) gene was 31.9, 34.8, and 6.5%, respectively. None of the isolates harbored the tet(M) gene. Multiple antimicrobial resistant isolates were found in samples that were collected from all the manure and digestates. Among them, 12.3% were highly resistant to some of the antibiotics tested, especially to clindamycin (MIC ≥ 16 µg/mL) and tilmicosin (MIC > 64 µg/mL). Some isolates were highly resistant to antibiotics used in human medicine, including vancomycin (MIC > 8 µg/mL) and imipenem (MIC > 64 µg/mL). These results suggest that digestate may be a carrier of the virulent and multidrug resistant C. perfringens.
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Cunningham CJ, Kuyukina MS, Ivshina IB, Konev AI, Peshkur TA, Knapp CW. Potential risks of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2020; 22:1110-1124. [PMID: 32236187 DOI: 10.1039/c9em00606k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioremediation represents a sustainable approach to remediating petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils. One aspect of sustainability includes the sourcing of nutrients used to stimulate hydrocarbon-degrading microbial populations. Organic nutrients such as animal manure and sewage sludge may be perceived as more sustainable than conventional inorganic fertilizers. However, organic nutrients often contain antibiotic residues and resistant bacteria (along with resistance genes and mobile genetic elements). This is further exacerbated since antibiotic resistant bacteria may become more abundant in contaminated soils due to co-selection pressures from pollutants such as metals and hydrocarbons. We review the issues surrounding bioremediation of petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated soils, as an example, and consider the potential human-health risks from antibiotic resistant bacteria. While awareness is coming to light, the relationship between contaminated land and antibiotic resistance remains largely under-explored. The risk of horizontal gene transfer between soil microorganisms, commensal bacteria and/or human pathogens needs to be further elucidated, and the environmental triggers for gene transfer need to be better understood. Findings of antibiotic resistance from animal manures are emerging, but even fewer bioremediation studies using sewage sludge have made any reference to antibiotic resistance. Resistance mechanisms, including those to antibiotics, have been considered by some authors to be a positive trait associated with resilience in strains intended for bioremediation. Nevertheless, recognition of the potential risks associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in contaminated soils appears to be increasing and requires further investigation. Careful selection of bacterial candidates for bioremediation possessing minimal antibiotic resistance as well as pre-treatment of organic wastes to reduce selective pressures (e.g., antibiotic residues) are suggested to prevent environmental contamination with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Cunningham
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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21
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Yu K, Li P, Chen Y, Zhang B, Huang Y, Huang FY, He Y. Antibiotic resistome associated with microbial communities in an integrated wastewater reclamation system. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 173:115541. [PMID: 32036288 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistome is a raising concern around the world, especially considering treated wastewater for reclamation. A wastewater reclamation system (WWRS), composed by a treatment system (TS) and a reclaimed system (RS) with supplementation from the treated effluent and considered as an integrated system of treatment and reclamation, was selected in this study. High-throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR) was applied to profile 283 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and 12 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in the WWRS. A total of 251 ARG and 12 MGE subtypes were detected in the WWRS. The TS exhibited good performance for the removal of ARGs with the number, relative and absolute abundances of ARGs largely decreased (99.07% removal efficiency) in the final effluent, which might be ascribed to biosolid sedimentation. Enhancement of biosolids removal contributed the lessening of ARGs. In the RS, high quality effluent significantly reduced the number and abundance of ARGs along the flow to downstream. MGEs were less reduced in the treated effluent than that of the influent (R2 = -0.16, p > 0.05), and exhibited close connections with ARGs. Arcobacter, Cloacibacterium, Cyanobacteria, Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium and Dechloromonas were the relatively abundant genera in the WWRS, and exhibited significantly correlations with ARGs. Microbial communities and MGEs contributed 65.64% to the changes of ARGs. These two factors may be the main drivers of ARG proliferation in the WWRS. Thus, attention should be paid to MGEs and those abundant genera when considering treated wastewater for reclamation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifeng Yu
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Peng Li
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yihan Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 246011, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yuansheng Huang
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Fu-Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Yiliang He
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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22
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Lu Y, Xiao Y, Zheng G, Lu J, Zhou L. Conditioning with zero-valent iron or Fe 2+ activated peroxydisulfate at an acidic initial sludge pH removed intracellular antibiotic resistance genes but increased extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in sewage sludge. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 386:121982. [PMID: 31901543 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sulfate radical (SO4-)-based conditioning methods, such as zero-valent iron (ZVI, i.e., Fe0) or ferrous iron (Fe2+) activated peroxydisulfate (S2O82-), have recently developed to improve sludge dewaterability, but it remains unclear how they impact the intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sewage sludge. In this study, it was found that conditioning treatments that used ZVI/S2O82- or Fe2+/S2O82- system, at an acidic initial sludge pH, removed the intracellular ARGs and intI1 and the extracellular intI1 from sewage sludge, but led to the accumulation of extracellular ARGs of aadA-01, aadA-02, aadA1, aadA2-03, and strB in conditioned sludge. During sludge conditioning with ZVI/S2O82- or Fe2+/S2O82-, bacterial hosts of ARGs and intI1 were seriously lysed to release the intracellular ARGs and intI1 to the extracellular environment, thus removing intracellular ARGs and intI1 in sludge, while the released ARGs and intI1 were primarily degraded by the produced SO4- to attenuate most extracellular ARGs and intI1. However, the relatively lower degradation ability of SO4- for extracellular ARGs of aadA-01, aadA-02, aadA1, aadA2-03, and strB led to their accumulation in conditioned sludge. Therefore, SO4--based conditioning methods can be employed to reduce ARGs in sludge, but the subsequent treatment of sludge dewatering filtrate requires more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Yifan Xiao
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Guanyu Zheng
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Junhe Lu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China
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Hölzel CS, Tetens JL, Schwaiger K. Unraveling the Role of Vegetables in Spreading Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria: A Need for Quantitative Risk Assessment. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2019; 15:671-688. [PMID: 30444697 PMCID: PMC6247988 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2018.2501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, vegetables gain consumer attraction due to their reputation of being healthy in combination with low energy density. However, since fresh produce is often eaten raw, it may also be a source for foodborne illness. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria might pose a particular risk to the consumer. Therefore, this review aims to present the current state of knowledge concerning the exposure of humans to antibiotic-resistant bacteria via food of plant origin for quantitative risk assessment purposes. The review provides a critical overview of available information on hazard identification and characterization, exposure assessment, and risk prevention with special respect to potential sources of contamination and infection chains. Several comprehensive studies are accessible regarding major antimicrobial-resistant foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli) and other bacteria (e.g., further Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., Gram-positive cocci). These studies revealed vegetables to be a potential—although rare—vector for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, mcr1-positive E. coli, colistin- and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, linezolid-resistant enterococci and staphylococci, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Even if this provides first clues for assessing the risk related to vegetable-borne antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, the literature research reveals important knowledge gaps affecting almost every part of risk assessment and management. Especially, the need for (comparable) quantitative data as well as data on possible contamination sources other than irrigation water, organic fertilizer, and soil becomes obvious. Most crucially, dose–response studies would be needed to convert a theoretical “risk” (e.g., related to antimicrobial-resistant commensals and opportunistic pathogens) into a quantitative risk estimate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Susanne Hölzel
- 1 Animal Hygiene and Animal Health Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel (CAU) , Kiel, Germany
| | - Julia Louisa Tetens
- 1 Animal Hygiene and Animal Health Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel (CAU) , Kiel, Germany
| | - Karin Schwaiger
- 2 Department of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Food Safety, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU) , Munich, Germany
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Guron GKP, Arango-Argoty G, Zhang L, Pruden A, Ponder MA. Effects of Dairy Manure-Based Amendments and Soil Texture on Lettuce- and Radish-Associated Microbiota and Resistomes. mSphere 2019; 4:e00239-19. [PMID: 31068435 PMCID: PMC6506619 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00239-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dairy cattle are routinely treated with antibiotics, and the resulting manure or composted manure is commonly used as a soil amendment for crop production, raising questions regarding the potential for antibiotic resistance to propagate from "farm to fork." The objective of this study was to compare the microbiota and "resistomes" (i.e., carriage of antibiotic resistance genes [ARGs]) associated with lettuce leaf and radish taproot surfaces grown in different soils amended with dairy manure, compost, or chemical fertilizer only (control). Manure was collected from antibiotic-free dairy cattle (DC) or antibiotic-treated dairy cattle (DA), with a portion composted for parallel comparison. Amendments were applied to loamy sand or silty clay loam, and lettuce and radishes were cultivated to maturity in a greenhouse. Metagenomes were profiled via shotgun Illumina sequencing. Radishes carried a distinct ARG composition compared to that of lettuce, with greater relative abundance of total ARGs. Taxonomic species richness was also greater for radishes by 1.5-fold. The resistomes of lettuce grown with DC compost were distinct from those grown with DA compost, DC manure, or fertilizer only. Further, compost applied to loamy sand resulted in twofold-greater relative abundance of total ARGs on lettuce than when applied to silty clay loam. The resistomes of radishes grown with biological amendments were distinct from the corresponding fertilizer controls, but effects of composting or antibiotic use were not measureable. Cultivation in loamy sand resulted in higher species richness for both lettuce and radishes than when grown in silty clay loam by 2.2-fold and 1.2-fold, respectively, when amended with compost.IMPORTANCE A controlled, integrated, and replicated greenhouse study, along with comprehensive metagenomic analysis, revealed that multiple preharvest factors, including antibiotic use during manure collection, composting, biological soil amendment, and soil type, influence vegetable-borne resistomes. Here, radishes, a root vegetable, carried a greater load of ARGs and species richness than lettuce, a leafy vegetable. However, the lettuce resistome was more noticeably influenced by upstream antibiotic use and composting. Network analysis indicated that cooccurring ARGs and mobile genetic elements were almost exclusively associated with conditions receiving raw manure amendments, suggesting that composting could alleviate the mobility of manure-derived resistance traits. Effects of preharvest factors on associated microbiota and resistomes of vegetables eaten raw are worthy of further examination in terms of potential influence on human microbiomes and spread of antibiotic resistance. This research takes a step toward identifying on-farm management practices that can help mitigate the spread of agricultural sources of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle K P Guron
- Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Liqing Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Amy Pruden
- Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Monica A Ponder
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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25
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Zheng G, Lu Y, Wang D, Zhou L. Importance of sludge conditioning in attenuating antibiotic resistance: Removal of antibiotic resistance genes by bioleaching and chemical conditioning with Fe[III]/CaO. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 152:61-73. [PMID: 30660902 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Conditioning can drastically improve the dewaterability of sewage sludge and thus it is widely practiced in most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In WWTPs, various antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) present in sewage are concentrated in the sewage sludge, but the effect of sludge conditioning on ARGs in sewage sludge remains unclear. Here, we evaluated and compared the effectiveness of four sludge conditioning methods (namely chemical conditioning with polyacrylamide (PAM), chemical conditioning with Fe[III]/CaO, bioleaching conditioning, and chemical acidification conditioning) and an aerobic incubation control in removing 46 target ARGs and intI1 from a municipal sewage sludge. The damage of sludge microbial cells and the change in the sludge bacterial community during the various sludge conditioning treatments were also characterized. The results suggested that the chemical conditioning with PAM and aerobic incubation treatment did not remove ARGs and intI1 from the sewage sludge. The chemical acidification reduced the absolute abundances of most ARGs and intI1, but increased their relative abundances. However, the chemical conditioning with Fe[III]/CaO and bioleaching conditioning reduced both the absolute and relative abundances of most ARGs and removed a majority of extracellular ARGs in the sludge. During sludge conditioning treatments, the sludge microbial cells were severely damaged to decrease the total bacterial biomass in sludge, and accordingly the bacterial hosts carrying ARGs and intI were effectively damaged to reduce the absolute abundances of most ARGs and intI1. In addition, the sludge bacterial community in conditioned sludge determined the relative abundances of residual ARGs. Our findings suggest that sludge conditioning can be an important sludge treatment process in attenuating antibiotic resistance in sewage sludge, and bioleaching and chemical conditioning with Fe[III]/CaO can be employed as effective conditioning ways to reduce ARGs in sewage sludge, potentially limiting their release to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Zheng
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Dianzhan Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Air-Conditioning Systems in Hospitals, Farms, and Residences. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16050683. [PMID: 30813565 PMCID: PMC6427721 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput quantitative PCR combined with Illumina sequencing and network analysis were used to characterize the antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles in air-conditioning filters from different environments. In total, 177 ARGs comprising 10 ARG types were determined. The detectable numbers and the relative abundance of ARGs in hospitals and farms were significantly higher than those in city and village residences. Compared to hospitals, farms had a higher level of tetracycline, multidrug, integrase, and macrolide⁻lincosamide⁻streptogramin (MLS) B resistance genes but a lower level of beta-lactam resistance genes. The bl3_cpha gene was the most abundant resistance gene subtype in hospital samples with an abundance of 2.01 × 10-4 copies/16S rRNA, while a level of only 5.08 × 10-12 copies/16S rRNA was observed in farm samples. There was no significant difference in bacterial diversity among the hospitals, farms, and residences, and Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum. Network analysis revealed that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were possible hosts of the beta-lactam, MLSB, aminoglycoside, multidrug, sulfonamide, and tetracycline resistance genes. The results demonstrate that ARGs exist in indoor environments and that farms and hospitals are important sources. This study provides a useful reference for understanding the distribution patterns and risk management of ARGs in indoor environments.
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27
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Topp E, Larsson DGJ, Miller DN, Van den Eede C, Virta MPJ. Antimicrobial resistance and the environment: assessment of advances, gaps and recommendations for agriculture, aquaculture and pharmaceutical manufacturing. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4772870. [PMID: 29309580 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A roundtable discussion held at the fourth International Symposium on the Environmental Dimension of Antibiotic Resistance (EDAR4) considered key issues concerning the impact on the environment of antibiotic use in agriculture and aquaculture, and emissions from antibiotic manufacturing. The critical control points for reducing emissions of antibiotics from agriculture are antibiotic stewardship and the pre-treatment of manure and sludge to abate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are sometimes added to fish and shellfish production sites via the feed, representing a direct route of contamination of the aquatic environment. Vaccination reduces the need for antibiotic use in high value (e.g. salmon) production systems. Consumer and regulatory pressure will over time contribute to reducing the emission of very high concentrations of antibiotics from manufacturing. Research priorities include the development of technologies, practices and incentives that will allow effective reduction in antibiotic use, together with evidence-based standards for antibiotic residues in effluents. All relevant stakeholders need to be aware of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and apply best practice in agriculture, aquaculture and pharmaceutical manufacturing in order to mitigate antibiotic resistance development. Research and policy development on antimicrobial resistance mitigation must be cognizant of the varied challenges facing high and low income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada N5V 4T3
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, and Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, SE-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Marko P J Virta
- University of Helsinki, Department of Microbiology, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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28
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Murray R, Tien YC, Scott A, Topp E. The impact of municipal sewage sludge stabilization processes on the abundance, field persistence, and transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to vegetables at harvest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:1680-1687. [PMID: 30316087 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biosolids were obtained from four Ontario municipalities that vary in how the sewage sludge is treated. These included a Class B biosolids that was anaerobically digested, a Class A biosolids that were heat treated and pelletized (Propell), and two Class A biosolids that were stabilized using either the N-Viro (N-Rich) or Lystek (LysteGro) processes. Viable enteric indicator or pathogenic bacteria in the biosolids were enumerated by plate count, gene targets associated with antibiotic resistance or horizontal gene transfer were detected by PCR, and a subset of these gene targets were quantified by qPCR. Following application at commercial rates to field plots, the persistence of enteric bacteria and gene targets in soil was followed during the growing season. Carrots, radishes and lettuce were sown into the amended and unamended control plots, and the diversity and abundance of gene targets they carried at harvest determined. All three Class A biosolids carried fewer and less abundant antibiotic resistance genes than did the Class B biosolids, in particular the very alkaline N-Viro product (N-Rich). Following application, some gene targets (e.g. int1, sul1, strA/B, aadA) that are typically associated with mobile gene cassettes remained detectable throughout the growing season, whereas others (e.g. ermB, ermF, blaOXA20) that are not associated with cassettes became undetectable within three weeks or less. At harvest a larger number of gene targets were detected on the carrots and radishes than in the lettuce. Overall, land application of Class A biosolids will entrain fewer viable bacteria and genes associated with antibiotic resistance into crop ground than will amendment with Class B biosolids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Murray
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Andrew Scott
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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29
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Magee HY, Maurer MM, Cobos A, Pycke BFG, Venkatesan AK, Magee D, Scotch M, Halden RU. U.S. nationwide reconnaissance of ten infrequently monitored antibiotics in municipal biosolids. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:460-467. [PMID: 29945081 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ten infrequently monitored antibiotics in biosolids were examined in archived American sewage sludges (n = 79) collected as part of the 2006/2007 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey. This study inspected the occurrence of amoxicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, furazolidone [proxy metabolite: 3-(2-nitrobenzylidenamino)-2-oxazolidinone (NP-AOZ)], nalidixic acid, oxolinic acid, oxytetracycline, spiramycin, sulfadimidine, and sulfadimethoxine in sewage sludges after nearly a decade in frozen storage. Six antibiotics were detected at the following average concentrations (ng/g dry weight): amoxicillin (1.0), nalidixic acid (19.1), oxolinic acid (2.7), erythromycin (0.6), oxytetracycline (4.5), and ampicillin (14.8). The remaining four were not detected in any samples (<method detection limit, ng/g dry weight): sulfadimethoxine (<0.5), sulfadimidine (<1.0), spiramycin (<2.0), and NP-AOZ (<20.0). This study provides the first data on spiramycin, NP-AOZ, and nalidixic acid in U.S. sewage sludges. This study also provides new data on the losses of 5 antibiotics during long term frozen storage (-20 °C) in comparison to the 2006/2007 U.S. EPA Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansa Y Magee
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State University, Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Health Solutions, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Megan M Maurer
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - April Cobos
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Benny F G Pycke
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Arjun K Venkatesan
- Arizona State University, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Tempe, AZ, USA; Stony Brook University, Center for Clean Water Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Magee
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State University, Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Health Solutions, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Matthew Scotch
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State University, Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Health Solutions, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Rolf U Halden
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State University, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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30
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Abia ALK, Ubomba-Jaswa E, Schmidt C, Dippenaar MA. Where Did They Come from-Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogenic Escherichia coli in a Cemetery Environment? Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:antibiotics7030073. [PMID: 30110918 PMCID: PMC6164573 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7030073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human burial in cemeteries facilitates the decomposition of corpses without posing a public health danger. However, the role of cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of drug-resistant pathogens has not been studied. Thus, we investigated cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic Escherichia coli. E. coli isolates were obtained from water samples (collected from surface water bodies and boreholes in three cemeteries) after isolation using the Colilert® 18 system. Pathogenic potentials of the isolates were investigated using real-time polymerase chain reactions targeting seven virulence genes (VGs) pertaining to six E. coli pathotypes. The resistance of isolates to eight antibiotics was tested using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. The mean E. coli concentrations varied from <1 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL to 2419.6 MPN/100 mL with 48% of 100 isolates being positive for at least one of the VGs tested. Furthermore, 87% of the isolates were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested, while 72% of the isolates displayed multi-drug resistance. Half of the MDR isolates harboured a VG. These results suggest that cemeteries are potential reservoirs of MDR pathogenic E. coli, originating from surrounding informal settlements, which could contaminate groundwater if the cemeteries are in areas with shallow aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akebe Luther King Abia
- Antimicrobial Research Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
| | - Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa
- Water Research Commission, Private Bag X03 Gezina, Pretoria 0031, South Africa.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2094, South Africa.
| | - Chantelle Schmidt
- Engineering Geology and Hydrology, Department of Geology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa.
| | - Matthys Alois Dippenaar
- Engineering Geology and Hydrology, Department of Geology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa.
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Zhao R, Feng J, Yin X, Liu J, Fu W, Berendonk TU, Zhang T, Li X, Li B. Antibiotic resistome in landfill leachate from different cities of China deciphered by metagenomic analysis. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 134:126-139. [PMID: 29407646 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
High throughput sequencing-based metagenomic analysis and network analysis were applied to investigate the broad-spectrum profiles of ARGs in landfill leachate from 12 cities in China. In total, 526 ARG subtypes belonging to 21 ARG types were detected with abundances ranging from 1.1 × 10-6 to 2.09 × 10-1 copy of ARG/copy of 16S rRNA gene. 68 ARG subtypes that accounted for 73.4%-93.4% of the total ARG abundances were shared by all leachate samples. The four most abundant ARGs, sul1, sul2, aadA and bacA can be served as ARG indicators to quantitatively predict the total abundances by linear functions (r2 = 0.577-0.819, P < 0.001). No distinct regional distribution pattern of the ARGs was observed among different cities in China, while the ARG compositions of the leachate were clearly distinct from those of other environmental sample types. Nearly 90% ARG subtypes in the anaerobic digestion sludge from sewage treatment plants (STPADS) were shared by the leachate and the abundances of leachate and STPADS ARGs generalists accounted for 84.5% and 87.7% of total abundances in these two types of anaerobic samples, respectively. Furthermore, Procrustes analysis suggested that microbial community composition might be the determining factor of ARG compositions in landfill leachate. ARGs within the same type or among the different types showed higher incidences of non-random co-occurrence and 17 genera might be potential hosts of multiple ARGs. This study highlighted that landfill leachate is an important reservoir of various ARGs and provided a useful reference for the surveillance and risk management of ARGs in landfill environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renxin Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jie Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaole Yin
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenjie Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Gwenzi W, Chaukura N. Organic contaminants in African aquatic systems: Current knowledge, health risks, and future research directions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 619-620:1493-1514. [PMID: 29734625 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Organic contaminants (OCs) are increasingly being reported in African aquatic systems, yet a critical evaluation of the literature is still lacking. The objectives of this review were to: (1) identify hotspot reservoirs, transfer pathways and ecological and human risks of OCs, (2) identify potential interventions to minimize the health risks, and (3) highlight knowledge gaps and research constraints. OCs widely reported in aquatic systems include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, solvents, endocrine disrupting compounds, and antimicrobial resistance genes, originating from applications in crop protection, veterinary and animal husbandry, human sanitation and hygiene, human vector and disease control. Potential hotspot reservoirs of OCs include wastewaters, on-site sanitation systems, leachates from non-engineered landfills and contaminated recharge of shallow groundwater systems. OCs could be transferred into humans via drinking of contaminated water, consumption of contaminated crops and aquatic foods, and to a lesser extent, inhalation and dermal contact. Ecological effects including intersex, estrogenicity, and acute and chronic toxicity occur in avian and aquatic species. Although the evidence base of human ecotoxicological effects of OC remains weak, pesticides have been reported in human milk, serum and sperms, pointing to potential chronic and acute toxicity and endocrine disruption. The prevalence of antimicrobials and their resistance genes could in turn lead to antimicrobial resistance in humans. The lack of OC monitoring in drinking water, coupled with over-reliance on untreated drinking water vulnerable to OC contamination predisposes humans to OC health risks. Appropriate water treatment methods, were identified, and a conceptual framework developed to minimize the ecological and human health risks. Future research directions on OC hotspot reservoirs, environmental behaviour and fate, ecotoxicology, epidemiology and interventions to minimize health risks are highlighted. However, lack of advanced analytical facilities in most African countries and other developing regions will continue to constrain OC research for now and in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willis Gwenzi
- Biosystems and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
| | - Nhamo Chaukura
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, University of South Africa, PO Box 392, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Sun M, Ye M, Jiao W, Feng Y, Yu P, Liu M, Jiao J, He X, Liu K, Zhao Y, Wu J, Jiang X, Hu F. Changes in tetracycline partitioning and bacteria/phage-comediated ARGs in microplastic-contaminated greenhouse soil facilitated by sophorolipid. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2018; 345:131-139. [PMID: 29175125 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The emerging mixed contamination of antibiotics and microplastics in greenhouse soil has made the control of antibiotic resistant gene (ARG) transmission a novel challenge. In this work, surfactant sophorolipid was applied to enhance the dissipation of tetracycline (TC) and tet genes in the presence of microplastics in greenhouse soil. During 49days of incubation, soil bacteria and phages were both found to be the crucial reservoirs of ARGs. Meanwhile, microplastic's presence significantly inhibited the dissipation of TC and ARGs in the soil. However, sophorolipid application was proved to outweigh the negative impact caused by microplastic existence, and lead to the highest dissipation of soil TC and ARGs. Significant positive correlation was detected between the dissipation rate of water-soluble and exchangeable TC content and bacteria/phage co-mediated ARG levels. This also held true between the two fractions of soil TC and the ratio of ARG level in the bacteria to that in the phages (BARGs/PARGs). The opposite impacts of microplastic presence and sophorolipid amendment on the TC/ARG dissipation found in this work provides new information for understanding ARG transmission between bacteria and phages in the mixed contaminated greenhouse soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Sun
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Mao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wentao Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yanfang Feng
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States
| | - Manqiang Liu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jiaguo Jiao
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaojia He
- The Administrative Center for China's Agenda 21, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Kuan Liu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yuanchao Zhao
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Feng Hu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
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Scott A, Tien YC, Drury CF, Reynolds WD, Topp E. Enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in soil receiving composts derived from swine manure, yard wastes, or food wastes, and evidence for multiyear persistence of swine Clostridium spp. Can J Microbiol 2018; 64:201-208. [DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2017-0642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The impact of amendment with swine manure compost (SMC), yard waste compost (YWC), or food waste compost (FWC) on the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil was evaluated. Following a commercial-scale application of the composts in a field experiment, soils were sampled periodically for a decade, and archived air-dried. Soil DNA was extracted and gene targets quantified by qPCR. Compared with untreated control soil, all 3 amendment types increased the abundance of gene targets for up to 4 years postapplication. The abundance of several gene targets was much higher in soil amended with SMC than in soil receiving either YWC or FWC. The gene target ermB remained higher in the SMC treatment for a decade postapplication. Clostridia were significantly more abundant in the SMC-amended soil throughout the decade following application. Eight percent of Clostridium spp. isolates from the SMC treatment carried ermB. Overall, addition of organic amendments to soils has the potential to increase the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes. Amendments of fecal origin, such as SMC, will in addition entrain bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes. Environmentally recalcitrant clostridia, and the antibiotic resistance genes that they carry, will persist for many years under field conditions following the application of SMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Scott
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - Yuan-Ching Tien
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - Craig F. Drury
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2585 County Road 20, Harrow, ON N0R 1G0, Canada
| | - W. Daniel Reynolds
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2585 County Road 20, Harrow, ON N0R 1G0, Canada
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
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Odey EA, Li Z, Zhou X, Kalakodio L. Fecal sludge management in developing urban centers: a review on the collection, treatment, and composting. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:23441-23452. [PMID: 28918574 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0151-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The problems posed by fecal sludge (FS) are multidimensional because most cities rapidly urbanize, which results in the increase in population, urban settlement, and waste generation. Issues concerning health and waste treatment have continued to create alarming situations. These issues had indeed interfered with the proper steps in managing FS, which contaminates the environment. FS can be used in agriculture as fertilizer because it is an excellent source of nutrients. The recent decline in crop production due to loss of soil organic component, erosion, and nutrient runoff has generated interest in the recycling of FS into soil nutrients through stabilization and composting. However, human feces are considerably liable to spread microorganisms to other persons. Thus, sanitation, stabilization, and composting should be the main objectives of FS treatment to minimize the risk to public and environmental health. This review presents an improved FS management (FSM) and technology option for soil amendment that is grouped into three headings, namely, (1) collection, (2) treatment, and (3) composting. On the basis of the literature review, the main problems associated with the collection and treatment of FS, such as inadequate tools and improper treatment processes, are summarized, and the trends and challenges that concern the applicability of each of the technologies in developing urban centers are critically reviewed. Stabilization during pretreatment before composting is suggested as the best method to reduce pathogens in FS. Results are precisely intended to be used as a support for decisions on policies and strategies for FSM and investments for improved treatment facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Alepu Odey
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan 30, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zifu Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan 30, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqin Zhou
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan 30, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Loissi Kalakodio
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan 30, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
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