Coincidence of cadmium and antibiotic resistance in New York Bight apex benthic microorganisms

Microorganisms resistant to 1–500 ppm cadmium were isolated over an 11 month period from sediments at the sewage sludge, dredge spoils and industrial acid waste disposal sites, as well as at an estuarine outflow to the New York Bight apex. Tests for antibiotic resistance in these isolates revealed that 94% of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics and that 91% of the original isolates could be characterized by multiple drug resistance. Different selective pressures may account for the various genera and antimicrobial resistance patterns observed. The possibility of extrachromosomal linkage of cadmium and streptomycin resistance is discussed.