Rare earth oxide nanoparticles promote soil microbial antibiotic resistance by selectively enriching antibiotic resistance genes

Abstract

The booming application of manufactured nanoparticles raises concerns about their unintentional environmental consequences, one of which is whether nanoparticles will co-selectively enrich soil antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) which may be transferred to human pathogens through the food chain. We examined soil microbial resistance to tetracycline in three agricultural soils after pre-exposure to 0-100 mg kg −1 nanoparticulate La 2 O 3 , Nd 2 O 3 , and Gd 2 O 3 for up to 60 days. Rare earth oxide nanoparticle pre-exposure promoted soil microbial antibiotic resistance, as reflected by the decreased effects of tetracycline on soil microbial biomass and activity in nanoparticle-amended soils. ..