Spatial behavior and source tracking of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in a chlorinated drinking water distribution system.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are receiving increasing concerns due to the antibiotic resistance crisis. Nevertheless, little is known about the spatial behavior and sources of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) in the chlorinated drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). Here, tap water was continuously collected to reveal the occurrence of both eARGs and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) along a chlorinated DWDS. Afterward, the correlation between eARGs, eDNA-releasing communities, and communities of planktonic bacteria was further analyzed. The eARG concentration decreased significantly, whereas the proportion of vanA and blaNDM-1 increased. Further, the diversity of the eDNA-releasing community increased markedly with increasing distance from the drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). Moreover, the dominant eDNA-releasing bacteria shifted from Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum in finished water from the DWTP to Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Staphylococcus, and Parabacteroides in the DWDS. In terms of eARG source, thirty genera were significantly correlated with seven types of eARGs that resulted from the lysis of dead planktonic bacteria and detached biofilms. Conversely, the iARGs concentration increased, whereas the biodiversity of the planktonic bacteria community decreased in the sampling points along the DWDSs. Our findings provide critical insights into the spatial behavior and sources of eARGs, highlighting the health risks associated with ARGs in DWDSs. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Yong-Bing Liang, Hai-Bei Li, Zheng-Shan Chen, Yi-di Yang, Dan-Yang Shi, Tian-Jiao Chen, Dong Yang, Jing Yin, Shu-Qing Zhou, Chun-Yan Cheng, Yi-Fan Shao, Jun-Wen Li, Min Jin. Spatial behavior and source tracking of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in a chlorinated drinking water distribution system. Journal of hazardous materials. 2022 Mar 05;425:127942

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PMID: 34902725

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