2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/24/2018 | 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM | THE PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN US WATERWAYS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO WATER QUALITY AND LAND USE INDICATORS | 410 A
THE PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN US WATERWAYS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO WATER QUALITY AND LAND USE INDICATORS
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in freshwaters are an emerging contaminant of concern. We used 1,747 water samples from the USEPA’s 2013-2014 National Rivers and Streams Assessment and digital-droplet polymerase chain reaction techniques to quantify the concentrations (target molecules/ml) of several ARGs across the conterminous US. Median ARG concentrations ranged from ~7-22 molecules/ml (max=32,231 molecules/ml). Several ARGs were positively and significantly related to watershed urbanization and agriculture. For example, multiple regression showed a positive relationship between sul1 (associated with drug-resistant Salmonella) and watershed urbanization and agriculture (multiple-r2=0.34). Likewise, these watershed metrics explained 37% of the variation in intI1, a gene that facilitates acquisition of drug resistance in bacteria. ARG concentrations were also positively correlated with turbidity, total suspended solids, and chloride, ammonia, potassium, and nutrient concentrations, but these relationships were weaker (r2=0.04-0.2) than relationships with land use. Hotspot analysis confirmed that ARG concentrations are lower in western mountains and higher in portions of the Midwestern and Northeastern US with distinct spatial clustering, especially in areas with intensive agriculture. This study provides a baseline for ARG concentrations in the Nation’s streams that could be critical for future monitoring of these emerging contaminants.
- Disease Ecology
- Pollution
- Genetics
Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Ryan Hill
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, hill.ryan@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Scott Keely
(), US EPA Systems Exposure Division, Cincinnati, OH, keely.scott@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Nichole Brinkman
(), US EPA, Systems Exposure Division, Cincinnati, OH, brinkman.nichole@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Emily Anneken
(), US EPA, Systems Exposure Division, Cincinnati, OH, anneken.emily@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Scott Leibowitz
(), US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, leibowitz.scott@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Michael Jahne
(), US EPA, Systems Exposure Division, Cincinnati, OH, jahne.michael@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Roy Martin
(), US EPA, Systems Exposure Division, Cincinnati, OH, martin.roy@epa.gov;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -