Propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in an industrial recirculating aquaculture system located at northern China

Abstract

The increasing prevalence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in intensive aquaculture environments are of great concern to food safety and public health. However, the level of ARGs and their potential propagation factors in an industrial recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) have not previously been comprehensive explored. In this study, the levels of 14 different ARG markers and 2 kinds of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were investigated in a RAS (including water, fish, feces, pellet feed meal, and biofilm samples) located northern China. qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, qepA, aac(6′)-Ib, and floR were dominant ARGs, which average concentration levels were presented at 4.51–7.74 copies/L and 5.36–13.07 copies/g, respectively, suggesting that ARGs were prevalent in RAS with no recorded history of antibiotic use. Elevated level of ARGs was found in water of RAS even after the final UV treatment compared with its influent. In RAS, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes were the predominant phyla. Notably, elevated levels of potential opportunistic pathogens were observed along with abundant ARGs suggesting an increasing risk of capturing ARGs and MGEs for human pathogens. This study has revealed for the first time that reared fish, their feces, pellet feed meal as the introduction sources and the selection roles of treatment units co-driven the ARG profile, and the co-selection of water environmental factors and their consequently induced bacterial community shifts formed by their influence are the determining drivers for the ARG propagation in RAS.