Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and environmental drivers: Assessment of resistance pollution along the Yangtze River Basin

Chengcheng Bu; Chong Chen; Weiwei Zhang; Ru Zhang; Jinpeng Yu; Yu Hua; Haoyu Zeng; Yuchen Han; Ruolan Jia; Qihui Zhao; Yuefei Ruan; Limin Ma

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127284

Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and environmental drivers: Assessment of resistance pollution along the Yangtze River Basin

Chengcheng Bu, Chong Chen^*, Weiwei Zhang, Ru Zhang, Jinpeng Yu, Yu Hua, Haoyu Zeng, Yuchen Han, Ruolan Jia, Qihui Zhao, Yuefei Ruan, Limin Ma^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance pollution presents a significant global health challenge. The present study systematically investigated the occurrence of 50 antibiotics in the dissolved, suspended particulate matter phases, and surface sediments at 30 locations across the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Eleven extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs and iARGs) in surface sediments were quantified using fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, key relationships between ARGs, antibiotic concentrations, mobile genetic elements, microbial communities, and environmental factors were explored. Results revealed high levels of antibiotic contamination in the dissolved phase, with the cumulative concentration of the 50 target antibiotics ranging 857−7560 ng/L across various sections of the YRB. While iARGs predominated in absolute abundance, eARGs showed higher relative abundance. Mechanistic of intI1-mediated horizontal gene transfer as the principal pathway for the dissemination of ARGs. Redundancy analysis revealed that antibiotic concentrations, environmental factors, and microbial communities collectively explained 57.69 % of the variation in ARGs distribution. Among these, environmental variables such as conductivity and dissolved oxygen indirectly promote the enrichment of ARGs by influencing microbial communities. This study provided a theoretical basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies against antibiotic resistance pollution in this extensive and economically critical watershed. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

Original language	English
Article number	127284
Number of pages	11
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	386
Online published	17 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127284
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2025

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Project No. 2023YFC3706800 & 2022YFC3204800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 52300215 & 22576156), the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education (Tongji University), China (Tongji University), (Project No. YRWEF202202), as well as Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Hong Kong SAR Government which provides regular funding to State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) (Project No. 9448002). However, any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of the Hong Kong SAR Government or the ITC.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research Keywords

Extracellular DNA
Intracellular DNA
Macrolides
Quinolones
Sulfonamides

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10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127284

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title = "Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and environmental drivers: Assessment of resistance pollution along the Yangtze River Basin",

abstract = "Antibiotic resistance pollution presents a significant global health challenge. The present study systematically investigated the occurrence of 50 antibiotics in the dissolved, suspended particulate matter phases, and surface sediments at 30 locations across the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Eleven extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs and iARGs) in surface sediments were quantified using fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, key relationships between ARGs, antibiotic concentrations, mobile genetic elements, microbial communities, and environmental factors were explored. Results revealed high levels of antibiotic contamination in the dissolved phase, with the cumulative concentration of the 50 target antibiotics ranging 857−7560 ng/L across various sections of the YRB. While iARGs predominated in absolute abundance, eARGs showed higher relative abundance. Mechanistic of intI1-mediated horizontal gene transfer as the principal pathway for the dissemination of ARGs. Redundancy analysis revealed that antibiotic concentrations, environmental factors, and microbial communities collectively explained 57.69 % of the variation in ARGs distribution. Among these, environmental variables such as conductivity and dissolved oxygen indirectly promote the enrichment of ARGs by influencing microbial communities. This study provided a theoretical basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies against antibiotic resistance pollution in this extensive and economically critical watershed. {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd.",

keywords = "Extracellular DNA, Intracellular DNA, Macrolides, Quinolones, Sulfonamides",

author = "Chengcheng Bu and Chong Chen and Weiwei Zhang and Ru Zhang and Jinpeng Yu and Yu Hua and Haoyu Zeng and Yuchen Han and Ruolan Jia and Qihui Zhao and Yuefei Ruan and Limin Ma",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127284",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and environmental drivers

T2 - Assessment of resistance pollution along the Yangtze River Basin

AU - Bu, Chengcheng

AU - Chen, Chong

AU - Zhang, Weiwei

AU - Zhang, Ru

AU - Yu, Jinpeng

AU - Hua, Yu

AU - Zeng, Haoyu

AU - Han, Yuchen

AU - Jia, Ruolan

AU - Zhao, Qihui

AU - Ruan, Yuefei

AU - Ma, Limin

PY - 2025/12/1

Y1 - 2025/12/1

N2 - Antibiotic resistance pollution presents a significant global health challenge. The present study systematically investigated the occurrence of 50 antibiotics in the dissolved, suspended particulate matter phases, and surface sediments at 30 locations across the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Eleven extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs and iARGs) in surface sediments were quantified using fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, key relationships between ARGs, antibiotic concentrations, mobile genetic elements, microbial communities, and environmental factors were explored. Results revealed high levels of antibiotic contamination in the dissolved phase, with the cumulative concentration of the 50 target antibiotics ranging 857−7560 ng/L across various sections of the YRB. While iARGs predominated in absolute abundance, eARGs showed higher relative abundance. Mechanistic of intI1-mediated horizontal gene transfer as the principal pathway for the dissemination of ARGs. Redundancy analysis revealed that antibiotic concentrations, environmental factors, and microbial communities collectively explained 57.69 % of the variation in ARGs distribution. Among these, environmental variables such as conductivity and dissolved oxygen indirectly promote the enrichment of ARGs by influencing microbial communities. This study provided a theoretical basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies against antibiotic resistance pollution in this extensive and economically critical watershed. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

AB - Antibiotic resistance pollution presents a significant global health challenge. The present study systematically investigated the occurrence of 50 antibiotics in the dissolved, suspended particulate matter phases, and surface sediments at 30 locations across the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Eleven extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs and iARGs) in surface sediments were quantified using fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, key relationships between ARGs, antibiotic concentrations, mobile genetic elements, microbial communities, and environmental factors were explored. Results revealed high levels of antibiotic contamination in the dissolved phase, with the cumulative concentration of the 50 target antibiotics ranging 857−7560 ng/L across various sections of the YRB. While iARGs predominated in absolute abundance, eARGs showed higher relative abundance. Mechanistic of intI1-mediated horizontal gene transfer as the principal pathway for the dissemination of ARGs. Redundancy analysis revealed that antibiotic concentrations, environmental factors, and microbial communities collectively explained 57.69 % of the variation in ARGs distribution. Among these, environmental variables such as conductivity and dissolved oxygen indirectly promote the enrichment of ARGs by influencing microbial communities. This study provided a theoretical basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies against antibiotic resistance pollution in this extensive and economically critical watershed. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

KW - Extracellular DNA

KW - Intracellular DNA

KW - Macrolides

KW - Quinolones

KW - Sulfonamides

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DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127284

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 0269-7491

VL - 386

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

M1 - 127284

ER -

Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and environmental drivers: Assessment of resistance pollution along the Yangtze River Basin

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

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