Risks of antimicrobial resistance in agricultural soil amendments, study reveals
A recent investigation conducted in Italy has highlighted potential health risks associated with the use of agricultural soil conditioners, which include treated biowaste, agricultural residues, and sewage sludge. While these materials are essential for promoting a circular economy by converting waste into valuable resources, their application in agriculture may inadvertently contribute to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, and coordinated by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) in collaboration with the University of Padova, examined various types of soil conditioners using a combination of traditional microbiological methods and cutting-edge genomic sequencing techniques to uncover the hidden risks associated with these soil amendments.
The research was funded by the INF-ACT Foundation as part of the NextGenerationEU initiative, alongside support from the Italian Ministry of Health.
The soil conditioners were categorized into five groups: compost from source-separated biowaste and green waste, agro-industrial digestate, digestate from anaerobic digestion of source-separated biowaste, compost from biowaste digestate, and wastewater treatment sludges. Under current Italian regulations, only compost from biowaste and green waste, as well as agro-industrial digestate, are approved for agricultural use, despite European Union Regulation 1009/2019 allowing the use of digestate from anaerobic digestion.
The researchers employed advanced metagenomic techniques to analyze the bacterial communities and associated resistomes of each sample. They also isolated various pathogens to gain a comprehensive understanding of the risks linked to sludge application in agriculture.
The results indicated that certain agricultural amendments could serve as vehicles for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms resistant to third-generation antibiotics, such as Salmonella and Listeria. In detail, the findings revealed that compost samples displayed higher bacterial diversity and a greater abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria than the other types of soil conditioners, except for wastewater treatment sludges (which exhibited the highest frequency of Salmonella isolation and resistome diversity).
The study calls for updated monitoring protocols and regulatory frameworks governing the use of soil improvers to prevent these materials from spreading antibiotic-resistance genes, which could worsen the global AMR crisis. It advocates for a comprehensive approach to risk assessment, emphasizing the integration of both chemical and biological evaluations in future regulations.
The findings offer crucial insights into the dangers linked to using agricultural soil amendments and represent a significant advance in understanding the implications of waste repurposing in farming practices.
As the agricultural sector shifts toward sustainable practices, ensuring the safety of soil conditioners is vital for protecting public health and maintaining genuinely sustainable farming methods.
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