ReviewAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2025
The Impact of Wastewater on Antimicrobial Resistance: A Scoping Review of Transmission Pathways and Contributing Factors.
Review in Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
65 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Microbial-driven nature-based solutions for environmental antimicrobial resistance and emerging contaminants: mechanisms, platform trade-offs, and decision framework.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Pooled it
- Five years of wastewater surveillance reveal COVID-19-Associated amplification and seasonal shifts inOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2026Article
- Antibiotic class-dependent degradation mechanisms and resistance gene elimination by dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma technology for wastewater treatment.RSC advances · 2026Review
- Metagenomic Characterisation of Antibiotic Resistance in Anaerobic Digesters and Their Implications for Environmental Health.Environmental microbiology reports · 2026Article
- Role of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in the dissemination of β-lactam resistance within aquatic environments: mechanisms, persistence, and one health implications.World journal of microbiology & biotechnology · 2026Review
- Antimicrobial resistance in wastewater-impacted coastal waters: implications for environmental surveillance and public health.Microbiology (Reading, England) · 2026Article
- Genomic characterization of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales from wastewater reveals the convergence of KPC-2 and GES-16 in Brazil.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2026Article
- Article
- Antimicrobial Resistance at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface: A One Health Perspective on Drivers, Transmission, and Public Health Responses.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Wastewater treatment configuration shapes ESBL- and KPC-producing gram-negative bacteria in effluents from a Colombian city: a one health perspective.Journal of water and health · 2026Article
- Mechanisms and Performance of a Copper-Modified Lead Dioxide Anode for Electrochemical Cephalexin Removal: Roles of Hydroxyl Radicals and Operational Parameters.ChemistryOpen · 2026Article
- The mobile resistome in the water-soil-air nexus: horizontal gene transfer and environmental dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes.FEMS microbiology ecology · 2026Review
- Antibiotic Use, Self-Medication, and Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Among Health Studies Students at the University of Mostar: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Wastewater-Based Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance and Bacterial Communities in Urban and Rural Areas in the Province of Trento (Italy).MicrobiologyOpen · 2026Article
- Carbapenemases: epidemiology, detection and management in a changing global landscape.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Review
- Genetic diversity and occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes from community wastewater in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2026Article
- Wastewater Treatment Challenges and Circular Reuse for One Health Sustainability: A Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- Assessment of bacterial profile of drinking water from different sources in Nekemte and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, Western Ethiopia.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Environmental Risks of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Elements: Occurrence, Fate, and Assessment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Genomic Insight into the Mobility of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Multidrug-ResistantAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global issue driven by the overuse of antibiotics in healthcare, agriculture, and veterinary settings. Wastewater and treatment plants (WWTPs) act as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The One Health approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health in addressing AMR. This scoping review analyzes wastewater's role in the AMR spread, identifies influencing factors, and highlights research gaps to guide interventions.
methodsThis scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across the PubMed and Web of Science databases for articles published up to June 2024, supplemented by manual reference checks. The review focused on wastewater as a source of AMR, including hospital effluents, industrial and urban sewage, and agricultural runoff. Screening and selection were independently performed by two reviewers, with conflicts resolved by a third.
resultsOf 3367 studies identified, 70 met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicated that antibiotic residues, heavy metals, and microbial interactions in wastewater are key drivers of AMR development. Although WWTPs aim to reduce contaminants, they often create conditions conducive to horizontal gene transfer, amplifying resistance. Promising interventions, such as advanced treatment methods and regulatory measures, exist but require further research and implementation.
conclusionsWastewater plays a pivotal role in AMR dissemination. Targeted interventions in wastewater management are essential to mitigate AMR risks. Future studies should prioritize understanding AMR dynamics in wastewater ecosystems and evaluating scalable mitigation strategies to support global health efforts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.