Emerging soil contamination of antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) carrying genes (ARGs): New challenges for soil remediation and conservation

Soil plays a vital role as a nutrient source for microflora and plants in ecosystems. The accumulation and proliferation of antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) causes emerging soil contamination and pollution, posing new challenges for soil remediation, recovery, and conservation. Fertilizer application in agriculture is one of the most important sources of ARB and ARGs contamination in soils. The recent existing techniques for the remediation of soil polluted with ARB and ARGs are very limited in terms of ARB and ARGs removal in soil. Bioelectrochemical remediation using bioelectrochemical systems such as microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells are promising technologies for the removal of ARB and ARGs in soil. Herein, diverse sources of ARB and ARGs in soil have been reviewed, their effects on soil microbial diversity have been analyzed, and the causes of ARB and ARGs rapid proliferation in soil are explained. Bioelectrochemical systems used for the remediation of soil contaminated with ARB and ARGs is still in its infancy stage and presents serious disadvantage and limits, therefore it needs to be well understood and implemented. In general, merging soil contamination of ARB and ARGs is an increasing concern threatening the soil ecosystem while the remediation technologies are still challenging. Efforts need to be made to develop new, effective, and efficient technologies for soil remediation and conservation to tackle the spread of ARB and ARGs and overcome the new challenges posed by ARB and ARGs contamination in soil.

Automated summary

Soil contamination and pollution with antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) pose new challenges for soil remediation and conservation. Fertilizer application in agriculture is a major source of ARB and ARGs contamination in soils. Bioelectrochemical remediation using microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells shows promise for the removal of ARB and ARGs in soil. However, this technology is still in its early stages and has limitations that need to be addressed.