Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems

Congmin Zhu, Linwei Wu (), Daliang Ning, Renmao Tian, Shuhong Gao, Bing Zhang, Jianshu Zhao, Ya Zhang, Naijia Xiao, Yajiao Wang, Mathew R. Brown, Qichao Tu, Feng Ju, George F. Wells, Jianhua Guo, Zhili He, Per H. Nielsen, Aijie Wang, Yu Zhang, Ting Chen, Qiang He, Craig S. Criddle, Michael Wagner, James M. Tiedje, Thomas P. Curtis, Xianghua Wen, Yunfeng Yang, Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, David A. Stahl, Pedro J. J. Alvarez, Bruce E. Rittmann and Jizhong Zhou ()
Additional contact information
Congmin Zhu: Capital Medical University
Linwei Wu: University of Oklahoma
Daliang Ning: University of Oklahoma
Renmao Tian: University of Oklahoma
Shuhong Gao: University of Oklahoma
Bing Zhang: Tsinghua University
Jianshu Zhao: Georgia Institute of Technology
Ya Zhang: University of Oklahoma
Naijia Xiao: University of Oklahoma
Yajiao Wang: University of Oklahoma
Mathew R. Brown: Newcastle University
Qichao Tu: Shandong University
Feng Ju: Westlake University
George F. Wells: Northwestern University
Jianhua Guo: The University of Queensland
Zhili He: Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory
Per H. Nielsen: Aalborg University
Aijie Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yu Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ting Chen: Tsinghua University
Qiang He: The University of Tennessee
Craig S. Criddle: Stanford University
Michael Wagner: University of Vienna
James M. Tiedje: Michigan State University
Thomas P. Curtis: Newcastle University
Xianghua Wen: Tsinghua University
Yunfeng Yang: Tsinghua University
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen: University of California
David A. Stahl: University of Washington
Pedro J. J. Alvarez: Rice University
Bruce E. Rittmann: Arizona State University
Jizhong Zhou: University of Oklahoma

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

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