Unveiling the overlooked threat: antibiotic resistance in groundwater near an abandoned sulfuric acid plant in Xingyang, China.

ABSTRACT

Groundwater near a sulfuric acid plant in Xingyang, Henan, China was sampled from seven distinct sites to explore the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Results showed that genes aadA, blaCTX-M, tetA, qnrA, and sul1 were detected with 100% frequency followed by aac(6')-Ib (85.71%), ermB (85.71%), and tetX (71.42%). Most abundant ARGs were sul1 in LSA2 (1.15 × 1011 copies/mL), tetA in LSA6 (4.95 × 1010 copies/mL), aadA in LSA2 (4.56 × 109 copies/mL), blaCTX-M in LSA4 (1.19 × 109 copies/mL), and ermB in LSA5 (1.07 × 109 copies/mL). Moreover, in LSA2, intl1 as a marker of class 1 integron emerged as the most abundant gene as part of MGE (2.25 × 1011 copies/mL), trailed by ISCR1 (1.57 × 109 copies/mL). Environmental factors explained 81.34% of ARG variations, with a strong positive correlation between the intl2 and blaCTX-M genes, as well as the ISCR1 gene and qnrA, tetA, intl2, and blaCTX-M. Furthermore, the intI1 gene had a strong positive connection with the aadA, tetA, and sul1 genes. Moreover, the aac(6')-Ib gene was associated with As, Pb, Mg, Ca, and HCO3-. The intl2 gene was also shown to be strongly associated with Cd. Notably, network analysis highlighted blaCTX-M as the most frequently appearing gene across networks of at least five genera. Particularly, Lactobacillus, Plesiomonas, and Ligilactobacillus demonstrated correlations with aadA, qnrA, blaCTX-M, intI2, and ISCR1. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing, the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota, with dominant genera including Pseudomonas, Ligilactobacillus, Azoarcus, Vogesella, Streptococcus, Plesiomonas, and Ferritrophicum. These findings enhance our understanding of ARG distribution in groundwater, signaling substantial contamination by ARGs and potential risks to public health.