Pesticide-driven antimicrobial resistance in water bodies: insights on environmental concerns, health implications and mitigation strategies.

Abstract

Pesticide contamination in water bodies is an emerging driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing severe environmental and public health risks. Due to excessive agricultural use, pesticides routinely end up in water bodies due to leaching, improper disposal, and agricultural runoff. Pesticides act as selective pressures, promoting resistant microbial strains by providing evolutionary pressure for the strains to thrive. Pesticides facilitate the dissemination of resistance genes through several mechanisms; horizontal gene transfer, bio-film formation, and co-selection with heavy metals. Pathogens carrying antibiotic resistance genes, are emerging as a threat to global populations exposed to contaminated water, as they are increasingly more challenging to treat with traditional antibiotics. Moreover, these issues escalate due to the overlap in disposal of agricultural runoffs and untreated hospital waste into water bodies leading to co-selection pressure facilitating multi drug resistance. Current review examines the critical role of pesticides contamination in driving AMR in Indian aquatic ecosystems, a novel intersection threatening global health and deteriorating aquatic life. However, existing policies are insufficient, necessitating stricter regulations to control the problem. There also needs to be stronger laws in place to limit and monitor pollution in the water bodies. The increasing incidences of health issues linked to resistant strains in Indian population, need to be tackled more comprehensively. Mitigation requires stringent agricultural regulations, improved waste management, and interdisciplinary strategies to curb this growing threat.