Co-selection for antibiotic tolerance in Cu-polluted soil is detected at higher Cu-concentrations than increased Cu-tolerance

Abstract

Co-selection for antibiotic tolerance in Cu polluted soils was studied in a laboratory experiment. Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) of the bacterial community was estimated using leucine incorporation. PICT was found in Cu polluted soils to tetracycline (≥8 mmol Cu kg−1), tylosin (≥16 mmol Cu kg−1) and vancomycin (≥16 mmol Cu kg−1). PICT to the antibiotics was found at higher Cu pollution levels than PICT to Cu (≥2 mmol Cu kg−1), suggesting that legislative limits protecting for effects of Cu on soil bacteria would also protect from increasing antibiotic co-tolerance.