Antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) is a grand societal challenge with
important dimensions in the water environment that contribute to its
evolution and spread. Environmental monitoring could provide vital
information for mitigating the spread of AMR; this includes assessing
antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) circulating among human populations,
identifying key hotspots for evolution and dissemination of resistance,
informing epidemiological and human health risk assessment models,
and quantifying removal efficiencies by domestic wastewater infrastructure.
However, standardized methods for monitoring AMR in the water environment
will be vital to producing the comparable data sets needed to address
such questions. Here we sought to establish scientific consensus on
a framework for such standardization, evaluating the state of the
science and practice of AMR monitoring of wastewater, recycled water,
and surface water, through a literature review, survey, and workshop
leveraging the expertise of academic, governmental, consulting, and
water utility professionals.