Does Environmental Exposure to Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Product Residues Result in the Selection of Antimicrobial-Resistant Microorganisms, and is this Important in Terms of Human Health Outcomes?

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Isobel C Stanton - , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Author)
  • Holly J Tipper - , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Author)
  • Kevin Chau - , University of Oxford (Author)
  • Uli Klümper - , Chair of Limnology (Author)
  • Jessica Subirats - , Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC) (Author)
  • Aimee K Murray - , University of Exeter (Author)

Abstract

The environment plays a critical role in the development, dissemination, and transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) enter the environment through direct application to the environment and through anthropogenic pollution. Although there is a growing body of evidence defining minimal selective concentrations (MSCs) of antibiotics and the role antibiotics play in horizontal gene transfer (HGT), there is limited evidence on the role of non-antibiotic PPCPs. Existing data show associations with the development of resistance or effects on bacterial growth rather than calculating selective endpoints. Research has focused on laboratory-based systems rather than in situ experiments, although PPCP concentrations found throughout wastewater, natural water, and soil environments are often within the range of laboratory-derived MSCs and at concentrations shown to promote HGT. Increased selection and HGT of AMR by PPCPs will result in an increase in total AMR abundance in the environment, increasing the risk of exposure and potential transmission of environmental AMR to humans. There is some evidence to suggest that humans can acquire resistance from environmental settings, with water environments being the most frequently studied. However, because this is currently limited, we recommend that more evidence be gathered to understand the risk the environment plays in regard to human health. In addition, we recommend that future research efforts focus on MSC-based experiments for non-antibiotic PPCPS, particularly in situ, and investigate the effect of PPCP mixtures on AMR. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;00:1-14. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)623-636
Number of pages14
Journal Environmental toxicology and chemistry : an international journal / SETAC
Volume43
Issue number3
Early online date23 Nov 2022
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85142636242
Mendeley 2ea9c882-5d7a-3ea0-9ee8-a531ed5a7c1f
ORCID /0000-0002-4169-6548/work/142247381

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Antimicrobials, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, soil ecotoxicology, water quality