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Li J, Cao J, Zhu YG, Chen QL, Shen F, Wu Y, Xu S, Fan H, Da G, Huang RJ, Wang J, de Jesus AL, Morawska L, Chan CK, Peccia J, Yao M. Global Survey of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Air. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:10975-10984. [PMID: 30043612 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite its emerging significant public health concern, the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban air has not received significant attention. Here, we profiled relative abundances (as a fraction, normalized by 16S rRNA gene) of 30 ARG subtypes resistant to seven common classes of antibiotics, which are quinolones, β-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, and vancomycins, in ambient total particulate matter (PM) using a novel protocol across 19 world cities. In addition, their longitudinal changes in PM2.5 samples in Xi'an, China as an example were also studied. Geographically, the ARGs were detected to vary by nearly 100-fold in their abundances, for example, from 0.07 (Bandung, Indonesia) to 5.6 (San Francisco, USA). The β-lactam resistance gene blaTEM was found to be most abundant, seconded by quinolone resistance gene qepA; and their corresponding relative abundances have increased by 178% and 26%, respectively, from 2004 to 2014 in Xi'an. Independent of cities, gene network analysis indicates that airborne ARGs were differentially contributed by bacterial taxa. Results here reveal that urban air is being polluted by ARGs, and different cities are challenged with varying health risks associated with airborne ARG exposure. This work highlights the threat of urban airborne transmission of ARGs and the need of redefining our current air quality standards in terms with public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China
| | - Junji Cao
- Key Lab of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics, Institute of Earth Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an 710049 , China
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xiamen 361021 , China
| | - Qing-Lin Chen
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xiamen 361021 , China
| | - Fangxia Shen
- School of Space and Environment , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , China
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , China
| | - Siyu Xu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health , Seoul National University , Seoul 08826 , South Korea
| | - Hanqing Fan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering , Columbia University , New York , New York 10027 , United States
| | - Guillaume Da
- CERTES, Université Paris-Est Créteil , Centre d'études et de Recherche en Thermique, Environnement et Systèmes (CERTES) , Créteil 94000 , France
| | - Ru-Jin Huang
- Key Lab of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics, Institute of Earth Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an 710049 , China
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering , ETH Zurich , Zurich 8093 , Switzerland
- Advanced Analytical Technologies , Empa , Dübendorf 8600 , Switzerland
| | - Alma Lorelei de Jesus
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health , Queensland University of Technology , GPO Box 2434, Brisbane , Queensland 4001 , Australia
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health , Queensland University of Technology , GPO Box 2434, Brisbane , Queensland 4001 , Australia
| | - Chak K Chan
- School of Energy and Environment , City University of Hong Kong , Tat Chee Avenue , Kowloon , Hong Kong China
| | - Jordan Peccia
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520 , United States
| | - Maosheng Yao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China
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