Soil contamination research has increased over the past decades, reflecting a growing awareness of this issue globally (Guo et al., 2014). The diversity of man-made contaminants in the soil is constantly evolving due to advancements in agrochemicals and industrial processes. Moreover, the escalated focus on ensuring high-quality food, particularly with the rising global population, has led to increased attention to the health of the soil. Notably, over the last three decades in particular, the intensified practices in livestock farming and activities like wastewater reuse in agriculture have underscored the existence of antibiotics in soils, categorizing them as an emerging concern. Figure 1 summarizes the number of scientific journal articles published each year from 1935 to 2023, sourced from the Scopus database using the search terms “antibiotics” and “soil”.