[Distribution Characteristics of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in PM2.5 of a Concentrated Broiler Feeding Operation].

Concentrated poultry feeding operations are an important source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Little attention has been given to PM2.5 as a mechanism for exposing ARGs to humans. In this study, PM2.5 and fecal samples from inside the broiler feeding operation and PM2.5 samples from outside the broiler feeding operation were collected. All samples were subjected to the determination of class Ⅰ integrin (intI1), total bacterial gene (16S rDNA), and 19 ARGs of six types by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The results indicated that, excluding blaGES-1 and blaSHV-1, the remaining 17 ARGs were detected in all six samples. Sulfonamide resistance genes, tetracycline resistance genes, macrolide resistance genes, and aminoglycoside resistance genes were abundant in the feces, reaching 1.04×109-3.27×1010 copies·g-1, while feces was an important source of antibiotic resistance genes in PM2.5 of the broiler feeding operation. There were high abundances of sulfonamide resistance genes and macrolide resistance genes in PM2.5 from inside the broiler feeding operation, reaching (8.9±1.9)×107 copies·m-3 and (5.6±3.1)×107 copies·m-3, respectively. The abundance of ARGs in the PM2.5 samples from inside the broiler feeding operation was significantly higher compared to the outside PM2.5 samples. There was a significant positive correlation between PM2.5 mass concentration and 16S rDNA, intI1, and ARGs abundance, indicating that PM2.5 was the reservoir and disseminator of airborne bacteria, ARGs, and intI1 in the broiler feeding operation. The abundance of intI1 was higher than ARGs among all samples, and the co-occurring relationship between intI1 and ARGs demonstrates the threat of multi-drug resistance, which is harmful to the surrounding air environment and the health of the breeder and poultry.

[Toxicity of PM2.5 Based on a Battery of Bioassays].

To accurately evaluate the biotoxicity of PM2.5, PM2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days, winter normal days, and summer days in Changzhou were selected for evaluation based on the acute toxicity of luminescent bacteria and zebrafish embryos and the cytotoxicity of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro (A549). The three atmospheric conditions and the physical and chemical indicators were also evaluated using correlation analysis. The PM2.5 samples showed either acute or developmental toxicity during all three periods. The toxicity unit (TU) of the luminescent bacteria for the winter fog-haze days, winter normal days, and summer days were 1.74 (toxic), 1.19 (toxic), and 0.92 (slightly toxic), respectively. The maximum TU of the zebrafish embryos was for winter normal days (TU=1.14, toxic) followed by winter fog-haze days (TU=0.79, slightly toxic), and summer days (TU=0, non-toxic). The highest TU of A549 was for winter fog-haze days (TU=0.61, toxic) followed by summer days (TU=0.38, toxic) and winter normal days (TU=0.31, toxic). With respect to developmental toxicity, with the exception of summer day samples, the PM2.5 samples from the other two periods had detrimental effects on the development of zebrafish embryos, mainly showing pericardial edema, a bent notochord, and tail deformity. The average toxicity (AvTx), toxic print (TxPr), and most sensitive test (MST) indices showed that the PM2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days and winter normal days exhibited toxicity, while samples from the summer days showed slight toxicity; PM2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days had the highest level of comprehensive toxicity. In addition, luminescent bacteria were the most sensitive to PM2.5 samples, followed by zebrafish embryos and A549. The results of chemical analysis and biological toxicity tests show that the pollutants contained in PM2.5 have a biological toxicity effect, which can provide a basis for the comprehensive assessment of PM2.5 biological toxicity and human health risks.

[Community Structure and Influencing Factors of Bacterioplankton in Spring in Zhushan Bay, Lake Taihu].

In order to investigate the characteristics of bacterioplankton in the spring in Zhushan Bay, Lake Taihu, the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterioplankton at four sampling sites in Zhushan Bay was sequenced by high-throughput sequencing using water samples collected from Yapugang, Shatanggang, Zhushanhunan, and Jiaoshan. The results showed that the coverage of the sequencing library was very high and could accurately represent the bacterioplankton community in the samples. The species richness of Jiaoshan was the highest, but the species evenness was lower. Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phylum in Zhushan Bay. The average abundance of Cyanobacteria was as high as 64.73%, which indicated an outbreak of cyanobacteria bloom in the water. At the genus level, Anabaena, hgcI_clade, CL 500-29 _marine_group, Microcystis, Synechococcus, and Mycobacterium were predominant. The results of redundancy analysis (RDA) for the relationship between bacterioplankton and environmental factors showed that water temperature, chlorophyll a (Chl-a), ammonia nitrogen(NH4+-N), dissolved oxygen (DO), and phosphate (PO43--P)were the main environmental factors affecting the bacterioplankton community. Dissolved oxygen could significantly affect Microcystis; nutrient and water temperature also had an effect.