Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in the water sources of the Wuhan stretch of the Yangtze River: Occurrence, distribution, and ecological risks

Given the ubiquitous detection of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in waterbodies worldwide and increasing public attention to water resource safety, this study investigated the presence of antibiotics and ARGs in the water sources of the Wuhan stretch of the Yangtze River (YR) as well as potential ecological risks. In this study, 15 antibiotics and 10 ARGs in a source of drinking water were analyzed using solid-phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology (SPE–UPLC–MS/MS) and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Fourteen antibiotics were detected in the samples from 18 water sources, with the highest concentration detected for tetracycline, reaching up to 1708.33 ng/L. The detection rates of norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, and roxithromycin were 100%. The concentrations of antibiotics were highest in She Shui, followed by the Wuhan stretch of the lower reaches of the YR, whereas the lowest concentrations were found in the Wuhan stretch of the upper reaches of the YR which were approximately equal to those in the Han River (HR). Ofloxacin and roxithromycin presented a substantial threat to aquatic organisms with high sensitivity at the majority of the sampling sites. The overall abundance of ARGs was notably greater in the lower reaches of the YR compared with the upper reaches and the HR. The highest absolute abundance was observed for sulfa ARGs. Integron intl1 strongly correlated with sul1, sul2, ermB, and qnrS, and antibiotics, strongly correlated with multiple ARGs, suggesting that antibiotics and ARGs are present in water sources in Wuhan and may present a plausible hazard to both human and ecological well-being. Hence, regulating the spread and dissemination of antibiotics and ARGs in the environment is imperative. The findings of this research offer significant insights into the stewardship and safeguarding of aquatic reserves in the Wuhan stretch of the YR.