Oxygen exposure in coastal mud can spread antibiotic resistance genes
Qiu W, Tang X, Wu B, Huang H, Zhao X
Soil Health
The tidal flats and salt marshes near coastal gardens and parks are living labs for microbial resistance, and understanding how sediment chemistry shifts can help communities protect those ecosystems from hidden antibiotic resistance buildup.
Along estuaries and coastlines, mud often contains a mineral made of iron and sulfur. When this mineral gets exposed to oxygen, such as during tidal shifts, it triggers a chain reaction in the mud's bacteria that favors microbes carrying antibiotic resistance genes, letting those genes spread more easily. But too much oxidation can also break down bacterial DNA, so the actual outcome depends on exactly how much oxygen reaches the sediment.
Key Findings
FeS (iron sulfide) amendment increased antibiotic resistance gene abundance only under aerobic conditions, not anaerobic ones
Proteobacteria were significantly enriched by FeS oxidation and identified as key hosts of resistance genes
Carbon fixation (CBB cycle), nitrogen fixation, and sulfur oxidation pathways correlated significantly with resistance gene abundance across Chinese estuarine and coastal wetland field samples
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that a common iron-sulfur mineral in coastal mud, when it reacts with oxygen, helps bacteria that carry antibiotic resistance genes multiply and spread. The effect flips depending on how much oxygen is present, which matters for tracking antibiotic resistance risks in wetlands.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Double-edged sword of FeS oxidation in estuarine and coastal sediments: accelerating elemental cycling yet enhancing antibiotic resistance enrichment.
Biogeochemical cycles exert significant influences on the fate and behavior of antibiotics in estuarine and coastal environments; however, ferrous sulfide (FeS)-mediated enrichment and disseminatio...
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