A preliminary investigation on the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in the Beijiang River, South China

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was investigated and quantified in 20 water samples collected in the Beijiang River, South China. Sulfonamide- and tetracycline-resistant bacteria were present in 17 and 14 of the collected 20 samples. For sulfonamide ARGs, sulI and sulII were frequently observed in the Beijiang River. The levels of sulI were higher than sulII (p < 0.05), with the mean values of (1.41 ± 1.12) × 10−2 and (1.58 ± 1.71) × 10−3 copies/16S rDNA, respectively. For tetracycline ARGs, tetG had the highest frequency, 100%, followed by tetA (85%), tetO (85%), tetC (70%), tetX (60%), tetM (40%) and tetQ (20%), while tetE and tetS were not detected in all the samples from the Beijiang River. On the other hand, tetC had the highest concentration, ranging from 8.30 × 10−2 to 13.20 copies/16S rDNA. The poor correlation between ARGs and antibiotic concentrations revealed that the self-amplification and persistence of ARGs were the reasons that made ARGs exist in the water environment even though the antibiotic selecting pressure was absent. Because so few field measurements have been conducted for investigating the levels of ARGs in rivers in South China, this study provides an important insight on better understanding the occurrence and spread of ARGs in such an ecosystem.