From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking
The extensive use of antibiotics has led to their frequent detection as residues in the environment. However, monitoring of their levels in groundwater and the associated ecological and health risks remains limited, and the impact of river pollution on groundwater is still unclear. This study focuse...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500056X |
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| author | Dailing Wu Hong Bai Liang-Ying He Lu-Xi He Fang-Zhou Gao Chong-Xuan Liu Paul J. Van den Brink Hauke Smidt Guang-Guo Ying |
| author_facet | Dailing Wu Hong Bai Liang-Ying He Lu-Xi He Fang-Zhou Gao Chong-Xuan Liu Paul J. Van den Brink Hauke Smidt Guang-Guo Ying |
| author_sort | Dailing Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The extensive use of antibiotics has led to their frequent detection as residues in the environment. However, monitoring of their levels in groundwater and the associated ecological and health risks remains limited, and the impact of river pollution on groundwater is still unclear. This study focused on the highly urbanized Maozhou River and its groundwater. Forty-five antibiotics and microbial community composition were analyzed by high-resolution LC-MS/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. These endpoints were measured in sediment, surface- and groundwater sampled during wet and dry seasons, while isolation and resistance profiling of Escherichia coli was performed in groundwater. This study aimed to assess the ecological and health risks posed by antibiotics in the Maozhou River and its groundwater, to assess the prevalence and type of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli, and to trace the sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in groundwater. Multiple antibiotics detected in the river and sediment were predicted to pose high risks to algae growth and bacterial resistance selection. In groundwater, the antibiotics erythromycin and norfloxacin were predicted to pose a medium risk to algae and a low risk towards bacterial resistance. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were observed between several predominant bacterial phyla in the river and groundwater and the detected antibiotics, suggesting a possible effect of local antibiotic residues on bacterial community composition. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 76 Escherichia coli isolates revealed 74 % exhibited resistance to at least one tested antibiotic and 7.9 % exhibiting multidrug resistance, which was confirmed by ARG-targeted PCR analysis. SourceTracker analysis of ARGs in groundwater indicated that ARG contamination in shallow groundwater was primarily from river sediments, while contamination in deeper groundwater originated mainly from river water. The results emphasize the need to address river pollution, as it directly impacts groundwater quality, particularly in areas with severe antibiotic contamination. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7085f09bdcb646249e0006a64553df4a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj-art-7085f09bdcb646249e0006a64553df4a2025-08-20T03:11:57ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-02-0119610930510.1016/j.envint.2025.109305From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source trackingDailing Wu0Hong Bai1Liang-Ying He2Lu-Xi He3Fang-Zhou Gao4Chong-Xuan Liu5Paul J. Van den Brink6Hauke Smidt7Guang-Guo Ying8School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, China; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the NetherlandsSchool of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaAquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the NetherlandsLaboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the NetherlandsSchool of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, China; Corresponding author.The extensive use of antibiotics has led to their frequent detection as residues in the environment. However, monitoring of their levels in groundwater and the associated ecological and health risks remains limited, and the impact of river pollution on groundwater is still unclear. This study focused on the highly urbanized Maozhou River and its groundwater. Forty-five antibiotics and microbial community composition were analyzed by high-resolution LC-MS/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. These endpoints were measured in sediment, surface- and groundwater sampled during wet and dry seasons, while isolation and resistance profiling of Escherichia coli was performed in groundwater. This study aimed to assess the ecological and health risks posed by antibiotics in the Maozhou River and its groundwater, to assess the prevalence and type of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli, and to trace the sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in groundwater. Multiple antibiotics detected in the river and sediment were predicted to pose high risks to algae growth and bacterial resistance selection. In groundwater, the antibiotics erythromycin and norfloxacin were predicted to pose a medium risk to algae and a low risk towards bacterial resistance. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were observed between several predominant bacterial phyla in the river and groundwater and the detected antibiotics, suggesting a possible effect of local antibiotic residues on bacterial community composition. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 76 Escherichia coli isolates revealed 74 % exhibited resistance to at least one tested antibiotic and 7.9 % exhibiting multidrug resistance, which was confirmed by ARG-targeted PCR analysis. SourceTracker analysis of ARGs in groundwater indicated that ARG contamination in shallow groundwater was primarily from river sediments, while contamination in deeper groundwater originated mainly from river water. The results emphasize the need to address river pollution, as it directly impacts groundwater quality, particularly in areas with severe antibiotic contamination.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500056XAntibioticAntibiotic resistanceMicrobial communityEscherichia coliGroundwaterSource Tracking |
| spellingShingle | Dailing Wu Hong Bai Liang-Ying He Lu-Xi He Fang-Zhou Gao Chong-Xuan Liu Paul J. Van den Brink Hauke Smidt Guang-Guo Ying From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking Environment International Antibiotic Antibiotic resistance Microbial community Escherichia coli Groundwater Source Tracking |
| title | From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking |
| title_full | From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking |
| title_fullStr | From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking |
| title_full_unstemmed | From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking |
| title_short | From river to groundwater: Antibiotics pollution, resistance prevalence, and source tracking |
| title_sort | from river to groundwater antibiotics pollution resistance prevalence and source tracking |
| topic | Antibiotic Antibiotic resistance Microbial community Escherichia coli Groundwater Source Tracking |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500056X |
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