Antibiotic resistance genes as an emerging environmental contaminant

Abstract

Emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical and personal care products, are receiving considerable attention owing to their potential to negatively impact the environment and to pose risks to human health. The widespread use of antibiotics and their fate and transport in the environment pose further risks with respect to public health and the development of antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs). While the occurrence of AROs is important, there is increasing interest in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). An urgent need exists to improve our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the spread and development of ARGs in both clinical and veterinary settings, the human body (gastrointestinal tract and microbiome) as well as in engineered (wastewater treatment plants) and natural (soil, sediments and water) environments. This review focuses on ARGs as an emerging environmental contaminant. The factors and mechanisms involved in ARG dissemination in a variety of environments are explored in detail. The unique challenges of ARGs with respect to policy-making and environmental monitoring are identified, and recommendations regarding how these challenges might be addressed are provided.

Resistant Genes of Microbes Associated with Abattoir Wastes

“…These antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are unique contaminants in that, they are of biological origin and can be transferred through genetic processes into different types of organisms regardless of distance. Also, their source(s) could be agriculture, wastewater treatment plants or animal farms [13]. Although antibiotic resistant β-lactamases only became popular when clinical resistance surfaced, spontaneous mutation alone cannot be implicated in the prevalence and spread of microbial resistance to modern antibiotics [14,15].…”

“…According to Lin et al [20] multiple mechanisms for antibiotic resistance exists which can be coded for by either single or multiple genes. These mechanisms start first with random mutation in an organism which later spreads to other organisms through the process of gene transfer [13]. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) occurs through transduction, transformation and conjugation [21].…”

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of ESBL Producing Enterobacteriaceae from Highly Polluted Stretch of River Yamuna, India

“…The resistance patterns of bacteria influenced by the selective pressure generated by the pollutants vary in different geographical areas and even may vary over time [9]. These anthropogenically influenced aquatic systems provide ideal conditions for the transfer and selection of antibiotic resistance upholding their spread [10]. The assessment of antibiotic resistance and investigation of the molecular mechanisms are invaluable assets to clinical studies for better understanding of the development and spread of resistance.…”

Municipal solid waste biochar-bentonite composite for the removal of antibiotic ciprofloxacin from aqueous media

“…Despite antibiotics designed to treat ailments of humans and animals, their continuous presence in the groundwater, urban wastewater and drinking water has become a threat to the environmental quality. Thus, these organic pollutants have been considered as contaminants of emerging concern since the last two decades (Kanakaraju et al, 2018;Oberlé et al, 2012;Sanderson et al, 2016). They have been listed as priority risk group of contaminants due to their toxicity to algae and bacteria even at nanogram level of concentration creating a disturbance in the natural ecosystems (Huang et al, 2017;Philip et al, 2018;Yi et al, 2017).…”