1. Coexistence and association between heavy metals, tetracycline and corresponding resistance genes in vermicomposts originating from different substrates.
- Author
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Liu, Kuan, Sun, Mingming, Ye, Mao, Chao, Huizhen, Zhao, Yuanchao, Xia, Bing, Jiao, Wentao, Feng, Yanfang, Zheng, Xiaoxuan, Liu, Manqiang, Jiao, Jiaguo, and Hu, Feng
- Subjects
HEAVY metals & the environment ,VERMICOMPOSTING ,TETRACYCLINE ,SUBSTRATES (Materials science) ,POLLUTANTS - Abstract
Abstract Coexistence of antibiotics/heavy metals and the overexpression of resistance genes in the vermicompost has become an emerging environmental issue. Little is known about the interaction and correlation between chemical pollutants and biological macromolecular compounds. In this study, three typical vermicompost samples were selected from the Yangtze River Delta region in China to investigate the antibiotic, heavy metal and corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and heavy metal resistance genes (HRGs). The results indicated the prevalence of tetracycline (TC), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), corresponding TC-resistance genes (tet A, tet C, tet W, tet M, tet O, and tet S) and HRGs (cop A, pco A, cus A, czc A, czc B, and czc R) in the three vermicompost samples. In addition, the ARG level was positively associated with the water-soluble TC fraction in the vermicompost, and it was same between the HRG abundance and exchangeable heavy metal content (p < 0.05). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between ARG and HRG abundance in the vermicompost samples, suggesting a close regulation mechanism involving the expression of both genes. The result obtained here could provide new insight into the controlling risk of heavy metals, TC, and relevant resistance genes mixed contamination in the vermicompost. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Tetracycline, heavy metals, and resistance genes co-existed in vermicomposts. • Antibiotic resistance gene level positively associated with the water-soluble TC fraction. • Heavy metal resistance gene level positively correlated with the exchangeable heavy metal species. • Significant positive correlation was observed between antibiotic- and heavy metal-resistance genes. Tetracycline, heavy metals, and associated resistance genes co-existed and positively correlated with each other in typical vermicomposts from Yangtze River Delta region in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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