Antimicrobial Resistance in Contaminated Water and Soil

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a rapidly growing global problem with major implications for human, animal, and environmental health, as it is now widespread and recognised across many disciplines. Resistant pathogens are causing severe problems in both human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Water and soil are the main environmental sources of resistant microbes, which cause untreatable diseases in animals and people. In this chapter, we present a literature review of antimicrobial resistance in contaminated water and soil. This chapter takes a holistic approach, exploring the foundations of environmental AMR, mechanisms of resistance selection in aquatic and terrestrial habitats, reservoirs and vectors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), and sources of contamination. The chapter also examines the pathways and drivers of the environmental transmission of resistant microorganisms, their impact on public health and ecosystems, and the resulting ecotoxicological effects of resistant microbes in water and soil. The effect of AMR on water and soil quality was also reviewed. The chapter also explores available risk assessment tools of environmental AMR, mitigation strategies of AMR in water and soil systems, regulatory frameworks, and research gaps in environmental AMR concerning soil and water in a holistic One Health approach.