Antimicrobial and the Resistances in the Environment: Ecological and Health Risks, Influencing Factors, and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Antimicrobial contamination and antimicrobial resistance have become global environmental and health problems. A large number of antimicrobials are used in medical and animal husbandry, leading to the continuous release of residual antimicrobials into the environment. It not only causes ecological harm, but also promotes the occurrence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The role of environmental factors in antimicrobial contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance is often overlooked. There are a large number of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes in human beings, which increases the likelihood that pathogenic bacteria acquire resistance, and also adds opportunities for human contact with antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. In this paper, we review the fate of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance in the environment, including the occurrence, spread, and impact on ecological and human health. More importantly, this review emphasizes a number of environmental factors that can exacerbate antimicrobial contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. In the future, the timely removal of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment will be more effective in alleviating antimicrobial contamination and antimicrobial resistance.

Hydroquinone Ecotoxicity: Unveiling Risks in Soil and River Ecosystems with Insights into Microbial Resilience

“…Freshwater microbial communities have been suggested as excellent bioindicators for assessing the impact of micropollutants in river ecosystems [ 83 ] because disruptions at this level can have consequences throughout all trophic levels [ 83 , 84 ], leading to unpredictable effects on the ecological balance of the aquatic environment [ 85 ]. These communities serve as the foundation of the aquatic food web, particularly among primary producers, and also play a significant role in organic matter decomposition, thereby contributing to nutrient cycling and energy exchange, as well as the degradation of pollutants [ 86 , 87 ].…”

In Vitro Effect of Eucalyptus Essential Oils and Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Povidone-Iodine) against Bacterial Isolates from Equine Wounds

“…Antibiotics and their residues found in nature are some of the main anthropogenic pollutants of our time [ 24 ]. These residues lead to the increased selection of microorganism resistance and the creation of cross-resistance and co-resistance strains [ 24 , 44 ]. This reality is not limited to antibiotics, with antiseptics also being implicated.…”

Microbial Therapy and Breast Cancer Management: Exploring Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Integration Within the One Health Approach

“…Antimicrobial usage has been found to be directly related to the number of resistance genes in the gut microbiome of humans, even in the absence of direct antimicrobial administration [129]. Water and soil constitute significant environmental reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant genes [130]. Antimicrobial resistant genes can spread in the environment to such an extent that can even reach air masses in areas of high antimicrobial usage [131].…”