Swine farming elevated the proliferation of Acinetobacter with the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the groundwater

Fang-Zhou Gao; Hai-Yan Zou; Dai-Ling Wu; Shuai Chen; Liang-Ying He; Min Zhang; Hong Bai; Guang-Guo Ying

Environment International (Mar 2020)

Swine farming elevated the proliferation of Acinetobacter with the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the groundwater

Fang-Zhou Gao,
Hai-Yan Zou,
Dai-Ling Wu,
Shuai Chen,
Liang-Ying He,
Min Zhang,
Hong Bai,
Guang-Guo Ying

Affiliations

Fang-Zhou Gao: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Hai-Yan Zou: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Dai-Ling Wu: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Shuai Chen: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Liang-Ying He: Corresponding authors at: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Min Zhang: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Hong Bai: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
Guang-Guo Ying: Corresponding authors at: SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 136

Abstract

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Swine farming generates a large amount of wastes containing various contaminants, resulting in environmental contamination and human health problems. Here we investigated the contamination profiles of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as microbial community in groundwater of the two villages with or without swine farms, and then assessed the human exposure risks of antibiotics, ARGs and indicator bacteria through drinking groundwater. The results showed that swine farming could lead to enhanced concentration levels of various veterinary antibiotics and ARGs in the groundwater in comparison to the reference village without swine farming. The microbial diversity of groundwater was significantly decreased with predominance of conditional pathogens Acinetobacter (up to 90%) in some wells of the swine farming village. Meanwhile, the abundance of Acinetobacter was significantly correlated to bacterial abundance, ARGs and integrons. The local residents could ingest various antibiotic residues and ARGs as well as pathogens, with daily intake of Acinetobacter up to approximately 10 billion CFU/resident through drinking groundwater contaminated by swine farming. The findings from this study suggest potential health risks of changing gut microbial community and resistome by drinking contaminated groundwater. Keywords: Swine farm, Groundwater, Antibiotics, Antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs), Pathogens, Human health risks

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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