The Abundance and Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Atmospheric Environment of Biology Laboratories and Surroundings
Background: Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) have been considered as a global emerging threat to public health systems. Places including farms and hospitals where antibiotics are used, and wastewater treatment plants and landfills where antibiotics are discharged, have been the hot spots for studies. However, locations where ARGs are directly used, such as biology laboratories have been largely neglected.
Methods: In this study, 11 Swiss biology laboratories working on different fields and located in the city center, suburb and rural area were studied to reveal the abundance and diversity of airborne ARGs in them and their surrounding areas with Colony-forming units (CFU) cultivation and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR).
Results: Most biology laboratories did not discharge significant amounts or varieties of ARGs and cultivate bacteria via air. No correlation was found between the number of CFUs and the abundance of 16S rRNA, but two clusters of correlated airborne ARGs, the animal husbandry related cluster, and city and hospital related cluster were identified in this study.
Conclusions: Although most biology laboratories may not be the emission sources of variety of airborne ARGs, the ARGs in the animal husbandry related cluster which were abundant in the animal laboratories and aadA1 which was abundant in the laboratories working on other eukaryocyte need to be furtherly studied to make sure if they are potential health risks for the researchers.
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Posted 19 Aug, 2020
Received 09 Nov, 2020
On 21 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 18 Oct, 2020
On 17 Aug, 2020
On 16 Aug, 2020
On 16 Aug, 2020
On 14 Aug, 2020
The Abundance and Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Atmospheric Environment of Biology Laboratories and Surroundings
Posted 19 Aug, 2020
Received 09 Nov, 2020
On 21 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 18 Oct, 2020
On 17 Aug, 2020
On 16 Aug, 2020
On 16 Aug, 2020
On 14 Aug, 2020
Background: Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) have been considered as a global emerging threat to public health systems. Places including farms and hospitals where antibiotics are used, and wastewater treatment plants and landfills where antibiotics are discharged, have been the hot spots for studies. However, locations where ARGs are directly used, such as biology laboratories have been largely neglected.
Methods: In this study, 11 Swiss biology laboratories working on different fields and located in the city center, suburb and rural area were studied to reveal the abundance and diversity of airborne ARGs in them and their surrounding areas with Colony-forming units (CFU) cultivation and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR).
Results: Most biology laboratories did not discharge significant amounts or varieties of ARGs and cultivate bacteria via air. No correlation was found between the number of CFUs and the abundance of 16S rRNA, but two clusters of correlated airborne ARGs, the animal husbandry related cluster, and city and hospital related cluster were identified in this study.
Conclusions: Although most biology laboratories may not be the emission sources of variety of airborne ARGs, the ARGs in the animal husbandry related cluster which were abundant in the animal laboratories and aadA1 which was abundant in the laboratories working on other eukaryocyte need to be furtherly studied to make sure if they are potential health risks for the researchers.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6