Difference of Microbial Community in the Stream Adjacent to the Mixed Antibiotic Effluent Source

Released antibiotics from source to stream can influence bacterial communities and potentially alter the ecosystem. This research provides a comprehensive examination of the sources, distribution, and bacterial community dynamics associated with varied antibiotic release sources adjacent to the stream. The residual of antibiotics from different sources was determined, and the bacterial community structure was examined to reveal the differences in the bacteria community in the stream. The residual of antibiotics was quantified with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and the Illumina MiSeq platform was utilized to sequence bacterial 16S rRNA genes, providing comprehensive insights into the bacterial community structure in the sediment across five different sites. Results indicated that the presence and distribution of antibiotics were significantly influenced by released sources. In the case of the bacterial community, the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most dominant phyla in the sediment, and especially, the Firmicutes showed higher abundance in sites mostly affected by livestock sources. Additionally, livestock gut bacteria such as Clostridium saudiense, Proteiniclasticum ruminis, and Turicibacter sanguinis were prevalent in antibiotic-contaminated sites adjacent to livestock facilities. Overall, this study provides critical insights into the effect of antibiotic contamination by verifying the relationship between the occurrence of antibiotic residuals and the alteration in the bacterial community in the stream.