Co-selection for antibiotic tolerance in Cu-polluted soil is detected at higher Cu-concentrations than increased Cu-tolerance

Co-selection for antibiotic tolerance in Cu polluted soils was studied in a laboratory experiment. Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) of the bacterial community was estimated using leucine incorporation. PICT was found in Cu polluted soils to tetracycline (>= 8 mmol Cu kg(-1)), tylosin (>= 16 mmol Cu kg(-1)) and vancomycin (>= 16 mmol Cu kg(-1)). PICT to the antibiotics was found at higher Cu pollution levels than PICT to Cu (>= 2 mmol Cu kg(-1)), suggesting that legislative limits protecting for effects of Cu on soil bacteria would also protect from increasing antibiotic co-tolerance. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.