Study finds link between air pollution and antibiotic resistance in humans

The latest analysis of data obtained from more than 100 countries has revealed that air pollution is causing a rise in antibiotic resistance (AMR), posing a threat to human health.

The researchers from the UK and China analysed data that was collected over the last 20 years and found that air pollution is affecting every country.

The study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal is the first of its kind to provide an in-depth global analysis of the potential impact of air pollution on antibiotic resistance. In 2019, antibiotic resistance caused approximately 1.27 million premature deaths across the globe.

Therefore, the analysis of the linkage between air pollution and antibiotic resistance becomes extremely significant.

The study has revealed that there is an increase in antibiotic resistance between 0.5 and 1.9 per cent, with a percentage increase in PM 2.5 pollution. It found that PM 2.5 has antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Inhaling polluted air can expose humans to antibiotic-resistant elements.

PM 2.5 are tiny particles in the air that can enter the lungs and bloodstream. The PM 2.5 limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is 5 μg/m3. However, most countries have failed to meet the WHO-prescribed limits.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the disease burden due to air pollution is now estimated to be at par with other major global health risks.

In some cases, extremely tiny air pollution particles can even cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the neurons directly. However, PM 2.5 has especially become a major cause of concern for authorities across the globe since it is so small that it can penetrate deep into the lungs.

"Until now, we didn't have a clear picture of the possible links between the two, but this work suggests the benefits of controlling air pollution could be twofold: not only will it reduce the harmful effects of poor air quality, it could also play a major role in combating the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," The Guardian quoted Professor Hong Chen of Zhejiang University in China, the lead author of the study, as saying.

"Antibiotic resistance and air pollution are each in their own right among the greatest threats to global health," he added.

Last year, a report by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute claimed that microscopic air pollution shortens lives globally by more than two years.

Similarly, another study published in The Lancet revealed that pollution caused approximately 9 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. It included countries like China, the US, and many African and European countries.

More than 90 percent of pollution-related deaths happened in low- and middle-income countries, with India coming in at the top of the list, followed by China with 2.1 million deaths.

However, the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals remains one of the major factors responsible for increased antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern around the world.

In 2016, a review commissioned by the UK government warned that antibiotic-resistant superbugs would kill one person every three seconds and cause trillions of dollars of economic damage by 2050 if left unchecked.

The review estimated that around a third of the 10 million deaths arising from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2050 would come from drug-resistant E. coli. It said that AMR could kill up to 10 million people each year by 2050 at a cumulative cost of $100 trillion (£69 trillion, €89 trillion) to the global economy.

AMR occurs when bacteria change and antibiotics no longer work for people who need them to treat infections.

The experts believe that it is essential to reduce drug use in farming if we wish to curtail the number of deaths reported every year. At least 700,000 people die every year due to these fatal superbugs, and if timely action is not taken, the number of deaths could rise to 10 million by 2050.