Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems

Global Water Microbiome Consortium; Congmin Zhu; Linwei Wu; Daliang Ning; Renmao Tian; Shuhong Gao; Bing Zhang; Jianshu Zhao; Ya Zhang; Naijia Xiao; Yajiao Wang; Mathew R. Brown; Qichao Tu; Feng Ju; George F. Wells; Jianhua Guo; Zhili He; Per Halkjær Nielsen; Aijie Wang; Yu Zhang; Ting Chen; Qiang He; Craig S. Criddle; Michael Wagner; James M. Tiedje; Thomas P. Curtis; Xianghua Wen; Yunfeng Yang; Lisa Alvarez-Cohen; David A. Stahl; Pedro J.J. Alvarez; Bruce E. Rittmann; Jizhong Zhou

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems

Global Water Microbiome Consortium, Congmin Zhu, Linwei Wu (Corresponding author), Daliang Ning, Renmao Tian, Shuhong Gao, Bing Zhang, Jianshu Zhao, Ya Zhang, Naijia Xiao, Yajiao Wang, Mathew R. Brown, Qichao Tu, Feng Ju, George F. Wells, Jianhua Guo, Zhili He, Per Halkjær Nielsen, Aijie Wang, Yu ZhangTing Chen, Qiang He, Craig S. Criddle, Michael Wagner, James M. Tiedje, Thomas P. Curtis, Xianghua Wen, Yunfeng Yang, Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, David A. Stahl, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Bruce E. Rittmann, Jizhong Zhou (Corresponding author)

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.

Original language	English
Article number	4006
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106022 Microbiology
105205 Climate change

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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Global Water Microbiome Consortium, Zhu, C., Wu, L., Ning, D., Tian, R., Gao, S., Zhang, B., Zhao, J., Zhang, Y., Xiao, N., Wang, Y., Brown, M. R., Tu, Q., Ju, F., Wells, G. F., Guo, J., He, Z., Nielsen, P. H., Wang, A., ... Zhou, J. (2025). Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems. Nature Communications, 16(1), Article 4006. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

@article{eed93015baed4a788628f6423887558f,

title = "Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems",

abstract = "Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.",

author = "{Global Water Microbiome Consortium} and Congmin Zhu and Linwei Wu and Daliang Ning and Renmao Tian and Shuhong Gao and Bing Zhang and Jianshu Zhao and Ya Zhang and Naijia Xiao and Yajiao Wang and Brown, {Mathew R.} and Qichao Tu and Weiqin Zhuang and Hongde Zhou and Wanlin Zheng and Wen Zhang and Qian Zhang and Chiqian Zhang and Michelle Young and Min Yang and Tao Yan and Chuanwu Xi and Liyou Wu and Wu, {Jer Horng} and Woo, {Sung Geun} and Stephanie West and Weaver, {Joseph E.} and Bei Wang and Steve Wakelin and {Van Nostrand}, {Joy D.} and Tooker, {Nicholas B.} and Chenxiang Sun and Kyle Stephens and {de Sousa}, {Oscarina Viana} and Kylie Smith and Jatinder Sidhu and Simona Rossetti and {de los Reyes}, {Francis L.} and Valeria Reginatto and Prathap Parameswaran and Andrew Palmer and Meyers, {Arthur J.} and {de Menezes}, {Francisca Gleire Rodriguez} and Mendon{\c c}a-Hagler, {Leda C.} and Yu Liu and Mengyan Li and Zhenxin Li and Feng Ju and Wells, {George F.} and Jianhua Guo and Zhili He and Nielsen, {Per Halkj{\ae}r} and Aijie Wang and Yu Zhang and Ting Chen and Qiang He and Criddle, {Craig S.} and Michael Wagner and Tiedje, {James M.} and Curtis, {Thomas P.} and Xianghua Wen and Yunfeng Yang and Lisa Alvarez-Cohen and Stahl, {David A.} and Alvarez, {Pedro J.J.} and Rittmann, {Bruce E.} and Jizhong Zhou",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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Global Water Microbiome Consortium, Zhu, C, Wu, L, Ning, D, Tian, R, Gao, S, Zhang, B, Zhao, J, Zhang, Y, Xiao, N, Wang, Y, Brown, MR, Tu, Q, Ju, F, Wells, GF, Guo, J, He, Z, Nielsen, PH, Wang, A, Zhang, Y, Chen, T, He, Q, Criddle, CS, Wagner, M, Tiedje, JM, Curtis, TP, Wen, X, Yang, Y, Alvarez-Cohen, L, Stahl, DA, Alvarez, PJJ, Rittmann, BE & Zhou, J 2025, 'Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems', Nature Communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 4006. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

TY - JOUR

T1 - Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems

AU - Global Water Microbiome Consortium

AU - Zhu, Congmin

AU - Wu, Linwei

AU - Ning, Daliang

AU - Tian, Renmao

AU - Gao, Shuhong

AU - Zhang, Bing

AU - Zhao, Jianshu

AU - Zhang, Ya

AU - Xiao, Naijia

AU - Wang, Yajiao

AU - Brown, Mathew R.

AU - Tu, Qichao

AU - Zhuang, Weiqin

AU - Zhou, Hongde

AU - Zheng, Wanlin

AU - Zhang, Wen

AU - Zhang, Qian

AU - Zhang, Chiqian

AU - Young, Michelle

AU - Yang, Min

AU - Yan, Tao

AU - Xi, Chuanwu

AU - Wu, Liyou

AU - Wu, Jer Horng

AU - Woo, Sung Geun

AU - West, Stephanie

AU - Weaver, Joseph E.

AU - Wang, Bei

AU - Wakelin, Steve

AU - Van Nostrand, Joy D.

AU - Tooker, Nicholas B.

AU - Sun, Chenxiang

AU - Stephens, Kyle

AU - de Sousa, Oscarina Viana

AU - Smith, Kylie

AU - Sidhu, Jatinder

AU - Rossetti, Simona

AU - de los Reyes, Francis L.

AU - Reginatto, Valeria

AU - Parameswaran, Prathap

AU - Palmer, Andrew

AU - Meyers, Arthur J.

AU - de Menezes, Francisca Gleire Rodriguez

AU - Mendonça-Hagler, Leda C.

AU - Liu, Yu

AU - Li, Mengyan

AU - Li, Zhenxin

AU - Ju, Feng

AU - Wells, George F.

AU - Guo, Jianhua

AU - He, Zhili

AU - Nielsen, Per Halkjær

AU - Wang, Aijie

AU - Zhang, Yu

AU - Chen, Ting

AU - He, Qiang

AU - Criddle, Craig S.

AU - Wagner, Michael

AU - Tiedje, James M.

AU - Curtis, Thomas P.

AU - Wen, Xianghua

AU - Yang, Yunfeng

AU - Alvarez-Cohen, Lisa

AU - Stahl, David A.

AU - Alvarez, Pedro J.J.

AU - Rittmann, Bruce E.

AU - Zhou, Jizhong

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.

AB - Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we analyze the antibiotic resistomes of 226 activated sludge samples from 142 WWTPs across six continents, using a consistent pipeline for sample collection, DNA sequencing and analysis. We find that ARGs are diverse and similarly abundant, with a core set of 20 ARGs present in all WWTPs. ARG composition differs across continents and is distinct from that of the human gut and the oceans. ARG composition strongly correlates with bacterial taxonomic composition, with Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria being the major carriers. ARG abundance positively correlates with the presence of mobile genetic elements, and 57% of the 1112 recovered high-quality genomes possess putatively mobile ARGs. Resistome variations appear to be driven by a complex combination of stochastic processes and deterministic abiotic factors.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-59019-3

M3 - Article

C2 - 40301344

AN - SCOPUS:105004335774

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 4006

ER -

Global diversity and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in human wastewater treatment systems

Abstract

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

UN SDGs

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