Event Title
Origins and Environmental Mobility of Antibiotic Resistance Genes, Virulence Factors, and Bacteria in a Tidal Creek's Watershed
Faculty Mentor
Andrei Barkovskii
Keywords
Andrei Barkovskii
Abstract
A tidal Oakdale Creek (Sapelo Island, GA, USA) received runoffs from two distinct sources in the watershed; a forested area and Hog Hammock settlement, with the latter delivered to the creek either directly or by the way of saltmarshes. Runoffs were monitored for the incidence of sixteen tetracycline resistance (TRG), eight virulence (VG), and two integrase genes; water quality parameters; and bacterial composition. The highest TRG and VG incidence frequencies were observed in Hog Hammock’s runoffs. Contribution of the forested area to the contamination of the creek was significantly lower than Hog Hammock. Passage of the latter runoffs through the saltmarsh caused 3-fold decrease in VG incidence and elimination of TRGs. We concluded that anthropogenic impact to biological contamination of aquatic environments is manifested even at a small-scale rural settlement, releasing TRGs, VGs, and pathogens with runoffs, and that the saltmarsh acted as a natural barrier against this contamination.
Session Name:
Biological and Environmental Sciences I
Start Date
4-4-2014 9:00 AM
End Date
4-4-2014 10:00 AM
Location
HSB 144
Origins and Environmental Mobility of Antibiotic Resistance Genes, Virulence Factors, and Bacteria in a Tidal Creek's Watershed
HSB 144
A tidal Oakdale Creek (Sapelo Island, GA, USA) received runoffs from two distinct sources in the watershed; a forested area and Hog Hammock settlement, with the latter delivered to the creek either directly or by the way of saltmarshes. Runoffs were monitored for the incidence of sixteen tetracycline resistance (TRG), eight virulence (VG), and two integrase genes; water quality parameters; and bacterial composition. The highest TRG and VG incidence frequencies were observed in Hog Hammock’s runoffs. Contribution of the forested area to the contamination of the creek was significantly lower than Hog Hammock. Passage of the latter runoffs through the saltmarsh caused 3-fold decrease in VG incidence and elimination of TRGs. We concluded that anthropogenic impact to biological contamination of aquatic environments is manifested even at a small-scale rural settlement, releasing TRGs, VGs, and pathogens with runoffs, and that the saltmarsh acted as a natural barrier against this contamination.