Antibiotic, PAH and metal impact over the microbial community of the Santos-São Vicente Estuary sediment

Abstract

Antibiotics represent one of the major advances in science regarding control of bacterial disease, particularly in medicine and public health. However, their aplications transcended the medical area, being employed as preventives and growth promoters in animal production and agriculture. This crescent use imply in environmental discharge, amplified by misuse and absence of residue treatment. Crescent discharge and accumulation results in environmental reservoirs of antibiotics, resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance genes, which may impact human health, as well as other animals and vegetables. This characterizes and ecological problem, requiring integrated approach in the scope of the One Health program. Through this perspective, the enviromental aspect receives a minority of studies. The Santos-Sao Vicente estuary represents an interesting case study, receiving multiple impacts of territorial occupation, ineficcient and irregular sewage discharge, industrial residues (former Valley of Death) and intense portuary activities. The role of sediment microbes in this estuary has not been throroughly investigated, and the impact of antibiotic discharge, as well as contaminants with similar responses such as metals and PAHs, over the microbiota has not been described. Antibiotics, metals and PAHs, depending on the detected concentration, have been descibed in the enviroment with lehal effects over microbial groups, influencing community composition and ecosystem services, with effects of antimicrobial resitance selection and persistance, and even with pleiotropic effects over gene expression, including benefficial aspects (hormesis). We intend to employ high throughput sequencing, with genomes recovered from metagenomes, to study microbial communities of sediments form these localities, aiming to understand their ecological roles and the influence of antibiotics, metals and PAHs over composition and ecosystem services from these communities. (AU)