Fecal Pollution Drives Antibiotic Resistance and Class 1 Integron Abundance in Aquatic Environments of the Bolivian Andes Impacted by Mining and Wastewater

Abstract

An increased abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments has been linked to environmental pollution. Mining polluted sites with high concentration of metals could favor the in situ coselection of ARGs, whereas wastewater discharges release fecal antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment. To study the effect of human fecal contamination and mining pollution, water and sediment samples affected by mining activities and sewage discharges were collected from three lakes in Bolivia, the pristine Andean lake Pata Khota, the Milluni Chico lake directly impacted by acid mine drainage, and the Uru-Uru lake located close to Oruro city and highly polluted by mining activities and human wastewater discharges. Physicochemical parameters, including metal composition, were analyzed in water and sediment samples. ARGs were screened for and verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) together with the mobile element class 1 integron (intl1), as well as crAssphage, a marker of human fecal pollution. The gene intl1 was positively correlated with sul1, sul2, tetA, and blaOXA-2. CrAssphage was only detected in the Uru-Uru lake, and its tributaries and significantly higher abundance of ARGs were found in these sites. Multivariate analysis showed that crAssphage abundance, electrical conductivity, and pH were positively correlated with higher levels of intl1 and ARGs. Taken together, our results suggest that fecal pollution is the major driver of higher levels of ARGs and intl1 in environments contaminated by wastewater and mining activities.

Nationwide Assessment of Water Quality in Rivers across Lebanon by Quantifying Fecal Indicators Densities and Profiling Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli

“…It is known that even the discharge of treated sewage can release antibiotic-resistant bacteria, transmissible genetic elements that encode resistance, and antibiotics residue into environments [84,85]. Therefore, the emergence and dissemination of ABR has been linked to fecal pollution.…”

“…In our study, resistance to cefalexin (46%), ampicillin (40%), amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (42%), streptomycin (34%), and tetracycline (35%), were the highest (Figure 4). These antibiotics are considered clinically and agriculturally important, increasing the risk of complicated infections in swimmers, consumers of produce irrigated with contaminated waters, and livestock that might use these waters [85,92]. Resistance to carbapenems was low and only identified in three isolates from the North, specifically in Zgharta and Oyoun el Samak rivers (Figure 5).…”

Antibiotic Resistance: One Health One World Outlook

“…Consequently, the risk of developing ABR microbes has increased. The ABR pathogens excrete through human and animal stools can accumulate in the natural ecosystems and spread throughout the environment ( Walsh et al., 2011 ; Karkman et al., 2019 ; Agramont et al., 2020 ). It is suggested that public health interventions should be implemented to improve water and food quality in the emerging economies and better sewage disposal.…”

Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Lower Volta River, Ghana, West Africa: The Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Urban Development Nexus

“…Nevertheless, insufficient and failing infrastructure, including sanitation infrastructure, remains a major obstacle to achieving this goal, a problem shared by many other low‐ and medium‐income countries (Asem‐Hiablie et al, 2013; Egbi et al, 2020; Gwenzi & Chaukura, 2018). Rural communities in Ghana rely on a patchwork of latrines, household septic systems, and underperforming sewage‐treatment facilities for the treatment of human waste (Egbi et al, 2020), all serving as potential sources of antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms and antibiotic‐resistance genes (ARGs; Agramont et al, 2020; Ho et al, 2021; Thongsamer et al, 2021; Vikesland et al, 2019). Hormones (Aneck‐Hahn et al, 2009) and pharmaceuticals (see review by Fekadu et al, 2019) also end up in surface water.…”