Air pollution is identified as a significant factor contributing to the global rise in antibiotic resistance, posing a serious threat to human health worldwide, according to a comprehensive global study.
Utilizing data spanning nearly two decades from over 100 countries, the analysis reveals a consistent association between increased air pollution levels and higher levels of antibiotic resistance across all continents and countries.
This correlation has strengthened over time, with rises in air pollution coinciding with more pronounced increases in antibiotic resistance.
Published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal, researchers from China and the UK highlighted the pioneering nature of their analysis in demonstrating the global impact of air pollution on antibiotic resistance.
They underscored that while misuse and overuse of antibiotics remain primary drivers of resistance, rising air pollution exacerbates the problem.
The study did not go into the specific mechanisms linking air pollution and antibiotic resistance but suggested that particulate matter PM2.5, known to carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, could be inhaled directly by humans, facilitating resistance transfer between environments.
Air pollution is already recognized as the foremost environmental risk to public health, associated with chronic conditions such as heart disease and lung cancer, and it reduces life expectancy.
Short-term exposure to high pollution levels contributes to respiratory issues like asthma and increased hospitalizations.
Addressing air pollution could have a dual benefit, the study emphasized.
By reducing air pollution, not only could the harmful health effects of poor air quality be mitigated, but it could also curb the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, potentially reducing deaths and economic costs associated with antibiotic-resistant infections.
Lead author Prof. Hong Chen from Zhejiang University highlighted the dual threat posed by antibiotic resistance and air pollution to global health, suggesting that controlling air pollution could play a crucial role in combatting both issues.
The study called for further research to go into the pathways through which antibiotic-resistant genes are disseminated via air pollution, including emissions from hospitals, farms, and sewage-treatment facilities.
It noted that PM2.5 pollution, originating from sources such as road traffic and industrial processes, exposes billions worldwide to unsafe levels annually.
Using extensive datasets from multiple international agencies, the study found a clear correlation between PM2.5 levels and antibiotic resistance, estimating that every 10% rise in air pollution is associated with a 1.1% increase in antibiotic resistance.
Projections indicate that without changes in current air pollution policies, global antibiotic resistance could rise by 17% by 2050, potentially leading to 840,000 premature deaths annually.
While acknowledging study limitations, including data gaps in some regions and the observational nature of their analysis, the researchers stressed the need for future investigations into the mechanisms underpinning the link between air pollution and antibiotic resistance.
In a related study published in BMJ Mental Health, researchers found that higher levels of air pollution were associated with increased use of community mental health services among people with dementia in heavily trafficked areas of London, underscoring the broad-ranging health impacts of air pollution beyond respiratory health.