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Title Implications of the use of organic fertilizers for antibiotic resistance gene distribution in agricultural soils and fresh food products. A plot-scale study
ID_Doc 26804
Authors Sanz, C; Casado, M; Navarro-Martin, L; Cañameras, N; Carazo, N; Matamoros, V; Bayona, JM; Piña, B
Title Implications of the use of organic fertilizers for antibiotic resistance gene distribution in agricultural soils and fresh food products. A plot-scale study
Year 2022
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151973
Abstract The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) into agricultural soils, products, and foods severely limits the use of organic fertilizers in agriculture. In order to help designing agricultural practices that minimize the spread of ARG, we fertilized, sown, and harvested lettuces and radish plants in experimental land plots for two consecutive agricul-tural cycles using four types of fertilizers: mineral fertilization, sewage sludge, pig slurry, or composted organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The analysis of the relative abundances of more than 200,000 ASV (Amplicon Sequence Var-iants) identified a small, but significant overlap (<10%) between soil's and fertilizer microbiomes. Clinically relevant ARG were found in higher loads (up to 100 fold) in fertilized soils than in the initial soil, particularly in those treated with organic fertilizers, and their loads grossly correlated to the amount of antibiotic residues found in the correspond-ing fertilizer. Similarly, low, but measurable ARG loads were found in lettuce (tetM,sul1) and radish (sul1), correspond-ing the lowest values to samples collected from minerally fertilized fields. Comparison of soil samples collected along the total period of the experiment indicated a relatively year-round stability of soil microbiomes in amended soils, whereas ARG loads appeared as unstable and transient. The results indicate that ARG loads in soils and foodstuffs were likely linked to the contribution of bacteria from organic fertilizer to the soil microbiomes, suggesting that an ad-equate waste management and good pharmacological and veterinarian practices may significantly reduce the presence of these ARGs in agricultural soils and plant products.
Author Keywords Editor; Ewa Korzeniewska; Tetracycline; Sulfonamide; Fluoroquinolone; Microbiomes; qPCR; 16S sequencing; Circular economy
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000767234500005
WoS Category Environmental Sciences
Research Area Environmental Sciences & Ecology
PDF https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151973
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