The DOI matches its Crossref record; 29 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Atmospheric antibiotic resistome driven by air pollutants
Abstract
The atmosphere is an important reservoir and habitat for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and is a main pathway to cause potential health risks through inhalation and ingestion. However, the distribution characteristics of ARGs in the atmosphere and whether they were driven by atmospheric pollutants remain unclear. We annotated 392 public air metagenomic data worldwide and identified 1863 ARGs, mainly conferring to tetracycline, MLS, and multidrug resistance. We quantified these ARG's risk to human health and identified their principal pathogenic hosts, Burkholderia and Staphylococcus. Additionally, we found that bacteria in particulate contaminated air carry more ARGs than in chemically polluted air. This study revealed the influence of typical pollutants in the global atmosphere on the dissemination and risk of ARGs, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and mitigation of the global risks associated with ARGs.
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“Airborne multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are frequently detected in hospital air, particularly in ICUs and surgical wards.”
In the citing paper
“Studies have shown that high humidity levels can promote bacterial growth, especially for waterborne pathogens like Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [8].”
In the citing paper
“Their persistence in aerosolized form increases the risk of transmission and complicates infection control in healthcare settings [8, 23].”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gao, M., Zhang, Q., Lei, C., Lu, T., & Qian, H.
- Affiliations
- Zhejiang University of Technology (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Qian, Haifeng
- Venue
- Science of The Total Environment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-12
- Volume
- 902
- Pages
- 165942
- ISSN
- 0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4385515329
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (21976161, 21777145, 22241603)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Microbiology (medical) › Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Keywords
- antibiotic resistance genes, air pollutants, airborne bacteria, particulate matter, tetracycline resistance, MLS resistance, multidrug resistance, Burkholderia, Staphylococcus, human health risk, inhalation exposure
- MeSH terms
- Air Pollutants, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacteria, Drug Resistance, Microbial, Genes, Bacterial, Humans
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