Scholarlink

<p>Emerging contaminants such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and heavy metals pose serious threats to public and environmental health. Sewage discharges, along with industrial and hospital effluents, are major contributors of antibiotics, resistant microorganisms, and heavy metals to environmental systems, facilitating the broader dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Evidence increasingly indicates that heavy metals can intensify the development and persistence of ARGs, making this interaction a growing global concern. Accordingly, understanding the complex relationships between antibiotics and heavy metals is essential for designing effective strategies to prevent and mitigate ARG propagation. This review examines the synergistic relationship between heavy metals and antibiotics in the emergence and spread of ARGs. It synthesizes current knowledge on major environmental sources, shared and interacting resistance mechanisms, and the resulting implications for ecosystem integrity and public health. In particular, the review highlights co-selection and cross-resistance as key pathways through which metal contamination can promote antibiotic resistance. Finally, it discusses how these interactions may compromise the efficacy of antibiotic treatment and outlines future research directions and policy-relevant perspectives to reduce the risks associated with this critical global health challenge.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Synergistic effects of antibiotics and heavy metals on antibiotic resistance gene formation and implications for public and environmental health

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月29日

查看全文
  • Alemu Chemeda,
  • Addisu Fekadu Andeta,
  • Zhiqiang Zhang,
  • Awoke Guadie

摘要

Emerging contaminants such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and heavy metals pose serious threats to public and environmental health. Sewage discharges, along with industrial and hospital effluents, are major contributors of antibiotics, resistant microorganisms, and heavy metals to environmental systems, facilitating the broader dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Evidence increasingly indicates that heavy metals can intensify the development and persistence of ARGs, making this interaction a growing global concern. Accordingly, understanding the complex relationships between antibiotics and heavy metals is essential for designing effective strategies to prevent and mitigate ARG propagation. This review examines the synergistic relationship between heavy metals and antibiotics in the emergence and spread of ARGs. It synthesizes current knowledge on major environmental sources, shared and interacting resistance mechanisms, and the resulting implications for ecosystem integrity and public health. In particular, the review highlights co-selection and cross-resistance as key pathways through which metal contamination can promote antibiotic resistance. Finally, it discusses how these interactions may compromise the efficacy of antibiotic treatment and outlines future research directions and policy-relevant perspectives to reduce the risks associated with this critical global health challenge.