Assessment of exposure of benthic organisms to selected organochlorine pollutants in the west Spitsbergen fjords

Pouch, Anna; Zaborska, Agata; Legeżyńska, Joanna; Deja, Kajetan; Pazdro, Ksenia

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165262

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 70 publications

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“…At the same time, wastewater discharge and other human inputs also release microbes and other pollutants such as biocides and metals to Arctic fjords and other downstream environments, in turn increasing the gene pool of the marine resistome (Larsson & Flach, 2022;Makowska-Zawierucha et al, 2022;Pouch et al, 2023;Sajjad et al, 2020). Meanwhile, the so-called Atlantification of the Arctic (the ingress of warm ocean water currents into Arctic waters including oceans and fjords) will likely transport biotic and abiotic elements including pollutants from low latitude and boreal regions to pristine high-latitude ecosystems (Csapó et al, 2021;Wichmann et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients

Makowska‐Zawierucha,

Trzebny,

Zawierucha

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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Polar regions are relatively isolated from human activity and thus could offer insight into anthropogenic and ecological drivers of the spread of antibiotic resistance. Plasmids are of particular interest in this context given the central role that they are thought to play in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, plasmidomes are challenging to profile in environmental samples. The objective of this study was to compare various aspects of the plasmidome associated with glacial ice and adjacent aquatic environments across the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, representing a gradient of anthropogenic inputs and specific treated and untreated wastewater outflows to the sea. We accessed plasmidomes by applying enrichment cultures, plasmid isolation and shotgun Illumina sequencing of environmental samples. We examined the abundance and diversity of ARGs and other stress‐response genes that might be co/cross‐selected or co‐transported in these environments, including biocide resistance genes (BRGs), metal resistance genes (MRGs), virulence genes (VGs) and integrons. We found striking differences between glacial ice and aquatic environments in terms of the ARGs carried by plasmids. We found a strong correlation between MRGs and ARGs in plasmids in the wastewaters and fjords. Alternatively, in glacial ice, VGs and BRGs genes were dominant, suggesting that glacial ice may be a repository of pathogenic strains. Moreover, ARGs were not found within the cassettes of integrons carried by the plasmids, which is suggestive of unique adaptive features of the microbial communities to their extreme environment. This study provides insight into the role of plasmids in facilitating bacterial adaptation to Arctic ecosystems as well as in shaping corresponding resistomes. Increasing human activity, warming of Arctic regions and associated increases in the meltwater run‐off from glaciers could contribute to the release and spread of plasmid‐related genes from Svalbard to the broader pool of ARGs in the Arctic Ocean.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients

Makowska‐Zawierucha,

Trzebny,

Zawierucha

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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Exposure to environmental levels of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol affects digestive glands and induces inflammation in Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea)

Zhang,

Liang,

Chen

et al. 2024

Science of The Total Environment

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Svalbard Fjord Sediments as a Hotspot of Functional Diversity and a Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance

Caruso,

Rappazzo,

Maimone

et al. 2024

Environments

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The sea bottom acts as a key natural archive where the memory of long-term timescale environmental changes is recorded. This study discusses some ecological and chemical features of fjord sediments that were explored during the AREX cruise carried out in the Svalbard archipelago in the summer of 2021. The activity rates of the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) and community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) were studied with the aim of determining the functional diversity of the benthic microbial community, while bacterial isolates were screened for their susceptibility to antibiotics in order to explore the role of these extreme environments as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Enzyme activity rates were obtained using fluorogenic substrates, and CLPPs were obtained using Biolog Ecoplates; antibiotic susceptibility assays were performed through the standard disk diffusion method. Spatial trends observed in the functional profiles of the microbial community suggested variability in the microbial community’s composition, presumably related to the patchy distribution of organic substrates. Complex carbon sources, carbohydrates, and amino acids were the organic polymers preferentially metabolized by the microbial community. Multi-resistance to enrofloxacin and tetracycline was detected in all of the examined samples, stressing the role of sediments as a potential reservoir of chemical wastes ascribable to antibiotic residuals. This study provides new insights on the health status of fjord sediments of West Spitsbergen, applying a dual ecological and biochemical approach. Microbial communities in the fjord sediments showed globally a good functional diversity, suggesting their versatility to rapidly react to changing conditions. The lack of significant diversification among the three studied areas suggests that microbial variables alone cannot be suitable descriptors of sediment health, and that additional measures (i.e., physical–chemical characteristics) should be taken to better define environmental status.

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Assessment of exposure of benthic organisms to selected organochlorine pollutants in the west Spitsbergen fjords

Cited by 3 publications

References 70 publications

Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients

Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients

Exposure to environmental levels of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol affects digestive glands and induces inflammation in Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea)

Svalbard Fjord Sediments as a Hotspot of Functional Diversity and a Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance

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