Abstract
To unveil the potential effect of metal presence to antibiotic tolerance proliferation, four sites of surface landfills containing tailings from metal processing in Slovakia (Hnúšťa, Hodruša, Košice) and Poland (Tarnowskie Góry) were investigated. Tolerance and multitolerance to selected metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Fe, Zn, Cd) and antibiotics (ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and kanamycin) and interrelationships between them were evaluated. A low bacterial diversity (Shannon–Wiener index from 0.83 to 2.263) was detected in all sampling sites. Gram-positive bacteria, mostly belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria, dominated in three of the four sampling sites. The recorded percentages of tolerant bacterial isolates varied considerably for antibiotics and metals from 0 to 57% and 0.8 to 47%, respectively, among the sampling sites. Tolerances to chloramphenicol (45–57%) and kanamycin (32–45%) were found in three sites. Multitolerance to several metals and antibiotics in the range of 24 to 48% was recorded for three sites. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) for the co-occurrence of tolerance to each studied metal and at least one of the antibiotics was observed. Exposure time to the metal (landfill duration) was an important factor for the development of metal- as well as antibiotic-tolerant isolates. The results show that metal-contaminated sites represent a significant threat for human health not only for their toxic effects but also for their pressure to antibiotic tolerance spread in the environment.
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Funding
The work was supported by financial aid from Slovak Grant Agency (project No. VEGA 1/0018/22 and VEGA 2/0142/19) and from Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (PPN/BIL/2018/1/00026/U/00001).
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Author M.L. wrote the paper. Authors J.S-K and A.L. conceived and designed the analysis. Authors M.L., K.S., and V.P. performed the MIC analysis. Author M.L. performed statistical analyses. Authors L.N. and I.T. performed the MALDI-TOF analysis. Authors J.W. and I.J. performed the chemical analysis of the ore. M.L., J.S-K., and A.L. edited the manuscript.
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Jana Sedlákova-Kadukova and Alena Luptakova have received research support from Slovak Grant Agency. Joanna Willner received research support from Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The authors declare no competing interests.
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Highlights
• Metals enhance the spread of antibiotics tolerance in metal-polluted environments
• Old mine landfills are more likely to spread antibiotic resistance than active ones
• Correlation between antibiotic and metal tolerance was proved
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Lachka, M., Soltisova, K., Nosalova, L. et al. Metal-containing landfills as a source of antibiotic tolerance. Environ Monit Assess 195, 262 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10873-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10873-4