Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in natural water bodies: causes, routes, and remedies

초록

A wide range of antibiotics has been used and recognized in medicine due to their effectiveness in improving human and animal health and their potential for crop growth and development. However, its continuous use has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs)/antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) deposited in the biotic components of the ecosystem. In addition to being a major pathway for antibiotics to disseminate, freshwater bodies are also reservoirs for these bacteria. In natural water bodies, ARGs/ARBs contaminated water is discharged from clinical settings, excrement from human bodies, surface runoff from agricultural fields, and wastewater treatment plant effluents. In the aquatic ecosystem, ARGs/ARBs threaten aquatic life, harm the ecosystem, and increase human mortality. In this chapter, we discussed how antibiotic-resistant bacteria exist in water bodies and identify the different sustainable approaches to protecting and conserving these scarce resources. ARGs and ARBs can be curtailed by implementing standards for the quality of discharges into water bodies, improving wastewater treatment methods, and, most importantly, reducing the use of antibiotics in agriculture and finding alternate methods to treat diseases. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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