Antibiotics are an important pharmaceutical class excessively used by humans. Its presence in the soil can impact plant growth and induce antibiotic resistance. This research studies the effect of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on plant growth, rhizosphere bacteria composition, and resistance genes. Two sets of vegetables (basil, cilantro, and spinach) were treated separately with water and SMX solution. The plant growth data and soil samples were collected and analyzed. The results revealed that SMX increased spinach leaf length (34.0%) while having no significant impacts on basil and cilantro. On the other hand, SMX improved the bacterial diversity in all samples. The shifts in the abundance of plant growth-promoting bacteria could indirectly affect vegetable stem and leaf length. SMX also significantly increased the abundance of resistance genes Sul1 and Sul2. A further study into the correlation between bacteria highlights the importance of Shingomonas and Alfipia for inhibiting the spread of key resistance gene hosts, namely, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Agrobacterium. This research provides insight into SMX’s impact on vegetable growth and microbial diversity. It also points out important microbial interactions that could potentially be utilized to mitigate ARG proliferation.

In response to the growing concerns of environmental pollution and its ecological impacts, this collection of research focuses on the monitoring, behavior, and remediation of various contaminants in aquatic systems

The water self-purification capacity in the source area of the Western Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China was investigated. This research aimed to promote the coordinated development of water source protection and water diversion benefits. Based on water quality tests conducted in the upstream section of the water source area, the results indicate that the water quality in the upper reaches of the water source region is generally good. However, total nitrogen at some sites in the Dadu River basin exceeded 1.0 mg/L, and the mean total nitrogen concentration in the Dadu River basin was higher than that in the Yalong River basin, while total phosphorus levels remained low in both basins. The nitrogen removal of the Yalong River Basin and the Dadu River Basin attained a peak of 34,654 t in 2012. The nitrogen removal was more than ten times that of phosphorus. Among the prefectures, the water self-purification service value ranks as follows: Garzê > Liangshan > Aba > Golog. The correlations between water quality indicators and driving factors-including land use types, GDP, precipitation, population, and temperature were discussed. In terms of spatial drivers, barren land (r = 0.41) and grassland (r = 0.47) are the major land-use contributors to TN. The model was found which can be used to quantify management priorities and predict potential risks associated with nitrogen pollution. After water diversion, the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water source area declined, which was not linearly related to the amount of water diverted.