From glacier forelands to human settlements: Patterns, environmental drivers, and risks of antibiotic resistance genes

IF 12.2 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Journal of Hazardous Materials Pub Date : 2025-05-03 DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.138455

Binglin Zhang , Ruiqi Yang , Yang Liu , Junming Guo , Junhua Yang , Xiang Qin , Shijin Wang , Junlin Liu , Xiaoying Yang , Wei Zhang , Guangxiu Liu , Tuo Chen

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Abstract

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are biological pollutants widely present in glaciers, such as ice, snow, and melt water. However, it remains unclear whether ARGs in glaciers influence their distribution in human settlements within the glacier basins. Therefore, we investigated the distribution pattern and driving factors of ARGs in the Laohugou glacier basins on the Tibetan Plateau. Using high-throughput quantitative PCR, the total abundance of ARGs in the Laohugou glacier basins ranged from 7.53 × 10⁶ to 1.83 × 10⁹ copies/g, including 128 detected ARGs across 11 classes, with aminoglycoside resistance genes being the dominant group. The abundance of ARGs exhibited a U-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient, with higher levels in glacier regions and human settlements, and the lowest abundance at mid-elevations. While glacier melting and anthropogenic disturbance are likely major contributors to this pattern, other potential mechanisms may also be involved, such as elevation-dependent microbial community composition, atmospheric deposition and release of legacy ARGs from melting permafrost and glacial ice. Together, these processes likely interact to shape the observed ARG pattern in this alpine watershed. We further verified that the distribution of ARGs was strongly correlated with microbial community structure, especially bacterial communities (r > 0.50; p < 0.05). Network analysis showed that Nitrolancea negatively correlated with several core ARGs, suggesting its potential role in regulating the spread of ARGs. Random forest analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that, after accounting for various driving factors, organic matter and bacterial biomass were the primary drivers of increased ARG abundance. This study provides a foundation for assessing the risks of ARGs in glacier basins under global climate change, offering insights into risk mitigation strategies and guiding future ecological and public health research.

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从冰川前陆到人类住区：模式、环境驱动因素和抗生素耐药基因风险

抗生素耐药基因（ARGs）是广泛存在于冰川中的生物污染物，如冰、雪和融水。然而，冰川中的ARGs是否会影响其在冰川盆地内人类住区中的分布尚不清楚。为此，研究了青藏高原老虎沟冰川盆地ARGs的分布格局及其驱动因素。利用高通量定量PCR分析，老虎沟冰川流域ARGs总丰度在7.53 × 10⁶~ 1.83 × 10⁹copies/g之间，共检测到11个类128个ARGs，氨基糖苷抗性基因为优势群。ARGs丰度沿海拔梯度呈u型分布，冰川区和人类住区的丰度最高，中海拔的丰度最低。虽然冰川融化和人为干扰可能是这种模式的主要贡献者，但其他潜在机制也可能参与其中，例如海拔依赖性微生物群落组成、大气沉积以及永久冻土和冰川冰融化遗留ARGs的释放。总之，这些过程可能相互作用，形成了在这个高山流域观测到的ARG模式。我们进一步验证了ARGs的分布与微生物群落结构密切相关，尤其是细菌群落(r >；0.50;p & lt;0.05)。网络分析显示，Nitrolancea与多个核心ARGs呈负相关，提示其可能在调节ARGs的传播中发挥作用。随机森林分析和结构方程模型（SEM）表明，在考虑各种驱动因素后，有机质和细菌生物量是ARG丰度增加的主要驱动因素。该研究为评估全球气候变化下冰川流域ARGs风险提供了基础，为风险缓解策略提供了见解，并为未来的生态和公共卫生研究提供了指导。

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来源期刊

Journal of Hazardous Materials 工程技术-工程：环境

CiteScore

25.40

自引率

5.90%

发文量

3059

审稿时长

58 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Hazardous Materials serves as a global platform for promoting cutting-edge research in the field of Environmental Science and Engineering. Our publication features a wide range of articles, including full-length research papers, review articles, and perspectives, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the dangers and risks associated with various materials concerning public health and the environment. It is important to note that the term "environmental contaminants" refers specifically to substances that pose hazardous effects through contamination, while excluding those that do not have such impacts on the environment or human health. Moreover, we emphasize the distinction between wastes and hazardous materials in order to provide further clarity on the scope of the journal. We have a keen interest in exploring specific compounds and microbial agents that have adverse effects on the environment.