Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Ireland; Food Safety Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Ireland; Centre for One Health, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland.
Environ Pollut. 2023 Mar 1;320:121035. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121035. Epub 2023 Jan 6.
Heavy metals are naturally occurring environmental compounds, which can influence antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination. However, there is limited information on how heavy metals may act as a selective pressure on AMR in the primary food production environment. This review aims to examine the literature on this topic in order to identify knowledge gaps. A total of 73 studies, which met pre-established criteria, were included. These investigations were undertaken between 2008 and 2021, with a significant increase in the last three years. The majority of studies included were undertaken in China. Soil, water and manure were the most common samples analysed, and the sampling locations varied from areas with a natural presence of heavy metals, areas intentionally amended with heavy metals or manure, to areas close to industrial activity or mines. Fifty-four per cent of the investigations focused on the analysis of four or more heavy metals, and copper and zinc were the metals most frequently analysed (n = 59, n = 49, respectively). The findings of this review highlight a link between heavy metals and AMR in the primary food production environment. Heavy metals impacted the abundance and dissemination of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), with MGEs also observed as playing a key role in the spread of ARGs and metal resistance genes (MRGs). Harmonization of methodologies used in future studies would increase the opportunity for comparison between studies. Further research is also required to broaden the availability of data at a global level.
重金属是天然存在于环境中的化合物，它们可能会影响抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）的传播。然而，关于重金属如何对初级食品生产环境中的 AMR 产生选择压力，相关信息有限。本综述旨在通过对这一主题的文献进行审查，以确定知识空白。共纳入了 73 项符合既定标准的研究。这些研究的开展时间为 2008 年至 2021 年，过去三年的研究数量显著增加。其中大多数研究在中国进行。土壤、水和粪便最常作为分析样本，采样地点从天然存在重金属的地区、有意添加重金属或粪便的地区，到靠近工业活动或矿山的地区不等。54%的研究集中在分析四种或更多种重金属上，而铜和锌是最常分析的金属（分别为 n=59，n=49）。本综述的研究结果表明，重金属与初级食品生产环境中的 AMR 之间存在联系。重金属影响了移动遗传元件（MGEs）和抗菌药物耐药基因（ARGs）的丰度和传播，MGEs 也被观察到在 ARGs 和金属耐药基因（MRGs）的传播中发挥关键作用。未来研究中统一使用的方法可以增加不同研究之间的比较机会。还需要进一步研究来拓宽全球范围内的数据可用性。
