Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems
- Author(s)
- , Congmin Zhu, Linwei Wu, Daliang Ning, Renmao Tian, Shuhong Gao, Bing Zhang, Jianshu Zhao, Ya Zhang, Naijia Xiao, Yajiao Wang, Mathew R. Brown, Qichao Tu, Weiqin Zhuang, Hongde Zhou, Wanlin Zheng, Wen Zhang, Qian Zhang, Chiqian Zhang, Michelle Young, Min Yang, Tao Yan, Chuanwu Xi, Liyou Wu, Jer Horng Wu, Sung Geun Woo, Stephanie West, Joseph E. Weaver, Bei Wang, Steve Wakelin, Joy D. Van Nostrand, Nicholas B. Tooker, Chenxiang Sun, Kyle Stephens, Oscarina Viana de Sousa, Kylie Smith, Jatinder Sidhu, Simona Rossetti, Francis L. de los Reyes, Valeria Reginatto, Prathap Parameswaran, Andrew Palmer, Arthur J. Meyers, Francisca Gleire Rodriguez de Menezes, Leda C. Mendonça-Hagler, Yu Liu, Mengyan Li, Zhenxin Li, Feng Ju, George F. Wells, Jianhua Guo, Zhili He, Per Halkjær Nielsen, Aijie Wang, Yu Zhang, Ting Chen, Qiang He, Craig S. Criddle, Michael Wagner, James M. Tiedje, Thomas P. Curtis, Xianghua Wen, Yunfeng Yang, Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, David A. Stahl, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Bruce E. Rittmann, Jizhong Zhou
- Abstract
Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Department of Inorganic Chemistry
- External organisation(s)
- Capital Medical University, University of Oklahoma, Peking University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, Minzu University of China, Georgia Institute of Technology, Newcastle University, Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Guelph, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, University of Auckland, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of Missouri-Columbia, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), University of Michigan, National Cheng Kung University, Stanford University, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, North Carolina State University, Scion - New Zealand Forest Research Institute, Northeastern University, Bureau of Environmental Services, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), IRSA Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, Instituto Oceanográfico, Arizona State University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Northeast Normal University - China, Westlake University, Northwestern University, University of Queensland, Hunan Agricultural University, Aalborg University (AAU), Michigan State University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Volume
- 16
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3
- Publication date
- 12-2025
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106022 Microbiology, 105205 Climate change
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry, General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Physics and Astronomy
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being, SDG 13 - Climate Action
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/eed93015-baed-4a78-8628-f6423887558f