Antibiotic resistance in urban green spaces mirrors the pattern of industrial distribution

Abstract

Urban green spaces are closely related to the activities and health of urban residents. Turf grass and soil are two major interfaces between the environmental and human microbiome, which represent potential pathways for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from environmental to human microbiome through skin-surface contact. However, the information regarding the prevalence of ARGs in urban green spaces and drivers in shaping their distribution patterns remain unclear. Here, we profiled a wide spectrum of ARGs in grass phyllosphere and soils from 40 urban parks across Greater Melbourne, Australia, using high throughput quantitative PCR. A total of 217 and 218 unique ARGs and MGEs ..