Distribution of antibiotic resistance in urban watershed in Japan

Young Sik Ham, Hiromi Kobori, Joo Hyon Kang, Takayuki Matsuzaki, Michiyo Iino, Hayashi Nomura

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

40 Scopus citations

Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant E. coli concentrations showed large spatial and temporal variations, with greater concentrations observed in tributaries and downstream than in the upstream and midstream. Twenty percent of the geometric mean concentrations of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in the Tama River basin (Japan) exceeded the maximum acceptable concentration of indicator E. coli established by the USEPA. The indicator E. coli concentrations were positively correlated with those of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and multiple-antibiotic- resistant E. coli (resistance to more than two kinds of antibiotics), respectively, but not the detection rate of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, implying that use of antibiotic-resistant E. coli concentration rather than the detection rate can be a better approach for water quality assessment. Multiple-antibiotic-resistant E. coli is a useful indicator for estimating the resistance diffusion, water quality degradation and public health risk potential. This assessment provides beneficial information for setting national regulatory or environmental standards and managing integrated watershed areas.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)98-103
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume162
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2012

Keywords

  • Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli
  • Resistance diffusion
  • Spatiotemporal variation
  • Urban watershed
  • Water quality assessment

Cite this