Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in a typical estuary aquaculture region of Hangzhou Bay, China

The widespread use of antibiotics in aquaculture can potentially lead to the emergence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and threaten human health by entering the food chain. To assess the environmental risk posed by antibiotics in China, the spatial-temporal distribution and correlation of 8 antibiotics based on the abundance of 11 ARGs in water sources, pond water, and sediment in 8 ponds were determined. The results indicated that sul1 was the predominant ARG in water sources and pond water, and tetC was the most in the sediment. A trend of increasing abundance of ARGs was observed with increased rearing density and pond age. Compared to monoculture, shrimp culture integrated with different trophic levels of fish farming could influence the abundance of ARGs. There was also a significant correlation between the abundance of ARGs and antibiotic concentration in the sediment, while no correlation was observed in water sources and pond water.