Zhou Xin-Yuan, Wang Yan-Zi, Su Jian-Qiang, Huang Fu-Yi
Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2020 Sep 8;41(9):4076-4080. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202003146.
Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are both considered emerging contaminants of increasing concern because their combined pollution poses a serious risk to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, high-throughput quantitative PCR techniques were used to investigate the diversity and abundance of ARGs in river water, to which two different microplastics (PVC and PVA) were added for aerated incubation. The results showed that ARGs in river water were diverse, and microplastics could induce more types of ARGs. Although the number and abundance of ARGs decreased in all three treatments, which were cultivated for 14 d by aeration, compared to those in non-treated samples, the total abundance of ARGs in treatments aerated with MPs were higher than those aerated without MPs, especially in the samples treated with water-soluble microplastics (PVA). Significant correlations between the abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were observed, implying that the occurrence of MGEs may potentially affect the transmission and distribution of ARGs through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in river water.
微塑料（MPs）和抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）都被视为日益受到关注的新兴污染物，因为它们的复合污染对生态环境和人类健康构成严重风险。在本研究中，采用高通量定量PCR技术研究河水中共存的抗生素抗性基因的多样性和丰度，并添加两种不同的微塑料（PVC和PVA）进行曝气培养。结果表明，河水中的抗生素抗性基因具有多样性，微塑料能够诱导更多种类的抗生素抗性基因。虽然曝气培养14 d后所有处理组中抗生素抗性基因的数量和丰度均低于未处理组，但添加微塑料处理组中抗生素抗性基因的总丰度高于未添加微塑料处理组，尤其是在添加水溶性微塑料（PVA）的处理组中。抗生素抗性基因丰度与可移动遗传元件（MGEs）之间存在显著相关性，这意味着可移动遗传元件的存在可能通过水平基因转移（HGT）影响抗生素抗性基因在河水中的传播和分布。
