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Updated: Jan 28, 2026
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Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Published on: August 8, 2014
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Antibiotic resistance in urban runoff
Ayad Almakki1, Estelle Jumas-Bilak2, Hélène Marchandin3
1HSM, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France; Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Iraq.
The Science of the Total Environment
|March 4, 2019
Summary
Urban aquatic ecosystems are rapidly evolving microbial hotspots, driving antibiotic resistance. Understanding these environments is crucial for combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Ecotoxicology
- Public health
Background:
- Anthropogenic pressures on aquatic ecosystems accelerate microbial evolution.
- Urban settings, particularly sewers and wastewater effluents, are key areas for assessing water quality and infection risks.
- Urban activities significantly influence water parameters, antibiotic presence, and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review environmental pressures on bacterial communities in urban runoff.
- To discuss the impact of urban settings on antibiotic resistance.
- To highlight the urgent need to identify environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of environmental pressures in urban runoff.
- Analysis of the impact of urban settings on antibiotic resistance.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on antibiotic resistance dynamics in urban aquatic environments.
Main Results:
- Aquatic ecosystems under anthropogenic pressure are hotspots for microbial evolution and antibiotic resistance emergence.
- Urban runoff contains physical, chemical, and biological factors that promote antibiotic resistance.
- Existing data highlight the significant impact of urban activities on the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Conclusions:
- Urban aquatic environments are critical reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the epidemiological cycle and dynamics of urban antibiotic resistance.
- Identifying all environmental reservoirs is essential for managing the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
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