Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Air pollution linked to increased antibiotic resistance: Study

Evidence suggests air pollution contributes to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes

Air pollution linked to increased antibiotic resistance: Study

New research published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal suggests that the mitigation of air pollution could potentially contribute to the reduction of antibiotic resistance.

The study indicates that addressing air pollution may play a role in countering the phenomenon where disease-causing microorganisms develop resistance to antibiotics, rendering these drugs less effective.


The association between PM2.5 air pollution and an increase in antibiotic resistance has strengthened over time, with enhances in PM2.5 levels leading to larger increases in antibiotic resistance in more recent years, the analysis found using data for 116 countries from 2000 to 2018.

PM stands for "particulate matter" or microscopic particles. The term refers to tiny particles suspended in the air, including pollutants such as dust, soot, smoke, and other fine particles.

The number "2.5" in "PM2.5" refers to the particle size, specifically particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or smaller.

PM2.5 particles are particularly concerning due to their small size, which allows them to be easily inhaled and potentially reach deep into the respiratory system and even the bloodstream, posing health risks.

Sources of PM2.5 include industrial processes, road transport, and domestic coal and wood burning.

Previous research indicates 90 per cent of the world's population, or 7.3 billion people, are directly exposed to unsafe average annual PM2.5 levels, with 80 per cent of them living in low-and middle-income countries.

PM2.5 air pollution was one of the leading factors driving antibiotic resistance, accounting for 11 per cent of changes in average antibiotic resistance levels globally, this study found.

Further, every 1 per cent rise in air pollution was linked with an increase in antibiotic resistance of between 0.5 and 1.9 per cent, depending on the pathogen, or the disease-causing microbe, the study covering nine bacterial pathogens and 43 types of antibiotics found.

The highest levels of antibiotic resistance were found to be in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, while levels in Europe and North America were found to be low.

Misuse and overuse of antibiotics still remain the main drivers of antibiotic resistance.

However, evidence suggests air pollution also contributes to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes, the study said.

PM2.5 air pollution-driven antibiotic resistance was also linked to an estimated 480,000 premature deaths in 2018, leading to additional economic costs of USD395 billion, the analysis said.

Owing to their huge populations, India and China are expected to face the greatest impact of PM2.5 changes on premature death toll from antibiotic resistance.

By 2050, levels of antibiotic resistance worldwide could increase by 17 per cent under no changes to current air pollution policies, the authors' modelling suggested.

India is expected to experience a 2.5 per cent increase in antibiotic resistance resulting from a 10 per cent increase in yearly PM2.5 levels.

In other scenarios, such as increased health spending, controlling air pollution, improving drinking water and reducing antibiotic usage, the level of antibiotic resistance could be greatly reduced, the study said.

For example, limiting PM2.5 to 5 micrograms per cubic metres in the atmosphere (recommended by the World Health Organization) could decrease global antibiotic resistance by 17 per cent by 2050. It could further reduce premature deaths linked to antibiotic resistance by 23 per cent and save USD 640 billion annually, the study said.

"Antibiotic resistance and air pollution are each in their own right among the greatest threats to global health. 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 two-fold: not only will it reduce the harmful effects of poor air quality, it could also play a major role in combatting the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," said lead author Hong Chen, Zhejiang University, China.

Future research should investigate underlying mechanisms of how air pollutants impact antibiotic resistance, the study said.

(With inputs from PTI)

More For You

Queen Camilla

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs

Getty Images

New photo released to celebrate Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday

Highlights

  • Queen Camilla turns 78 and is expected to celebrate privately at home
  • Official birthday portrait taken at Raymill House, Wiltshire
  • Outfit features rainforest-themed print; jewellery includes iconic diamond ring
  • Recent royal duties include state visits, Trooping the Colour, and military engagements
  • Appointed Vice Admiral of the UK on the same day

Queen Camilla marks birthday with relaxed countryside portrait

A new photograph of Queen Camilla has been released by Buckingham Palace to mark her 78th birthday. The image, captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson, shows the Queen leaning on a metal gate in a field at her private home, Raymill House, in Wiltshire.

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs. Her accessories include gold drop earrings, her wedding band, a five-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring, and a distinctive gold ring composed of circular plaques.

Keep ReadingShow less
Babies born free of mitochondrial disease

8 babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from 3 people

iStock

Babies born free of mitochondrial disease using DNA from 3 people

Highlights

  • Eight babies were born in the UK using DNA from three individuals to prevent mitochondrial disease
  • The technique combines egg and sperm from parents with mitochondria from a donor egg
  • Legal in the UK since 2015; results show children are meeting expected milestones
  • One in 5,000 babies are born with mitochondrial disease; no known cure exists
  • Newcastle scientists pioneered the technique, now used under NHS specialist service

UK births mark milestone in preventing inherited mitochondrial disease

Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people in a pioneering effort to prevent incurable mitochondrial disease, doctors have confirmed. The technique, developed by researchers in Newcastle, represents a significant breakthrough in reproductive medicine and genetic science.

These births are the first proven cases in the UK of healthy children being born free of devastating mitochondrial disorders thanks to this technique, which has been legal in the country since 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sainsbury

The rollout is part of Sainsbury’s broader Nectar Prices strategy

iStock

Sainsbury’s brings personalised Nectar discounts to all checkouts

Highlights

  • Sainsbury’s will roll out Your Nectar Prices to physical checkouts nationwide from 25 July.
  • Scheme gives loyalty members access to personalised discounts based on shopping habits.
  • Over 17 billion tailored offers generated since launch; £60m saved by customers in the last year.
  • More than one million shoppers currently use the feature weekly.
  • Offers now available in-store, online, via app, and soon, at checkout.

Sainsbury's brings personalised loyalty savings directly to the tills

Sainsbury’s will extend its Your Nectar Prices programme to checkouts across the UK starting Friday, 25 July. The move allows Nectar members to receive personalised discounts directly at the tills for the first time, as part of the retailer’s continued investment in digital loyalty.

The supermarket has already issued over 17 billion tailored offers since launching the scheme, with more than one million customers using it weekly. According to the retailer, these offers have helped shoppers collectively save £60 million over the past year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed

Getty Images

Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House to cut carbon emissions

Highlights

  • Kew Gardens will shut its iconic Palm House for up to four years
  • Grade I-listed building to undergo major restoration as part of net-zero strategy
  • Gas boilers to be replaced with modern heat pumps
  • Rare plant collection, including 45 endangered species, to be relocated during works
  • Palm House and Waterlily House will become the first net-zero glasshouses globally

Historic Palm House to undergo major upgrade

Kew Gardens will temporarily close one of its most recognisable landmarks, the Grade I-listed Palm House, for up to four years as part of an ambitious net-zero redevelopment plan. Opened in 1848, the glasshouse is home to a globally significant collection of tropical plants and houses the world’s oldest potted plant—an Encephalartos altensteinii dating back to 1775.

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed into the world’s first net-zero glasshouses through a large-scale renovation focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anne-Marie motherhood

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2

Getty Images

‘Everything has changed’: Anne-Marie on motherhood, anxiety and returning to music

Highlights

  • Anne-Marie discussed the challenges of motherhood and returning to work in music
  • Revealed struggles with postnatal anxiety and depression after birth of daughter Seven
  • Praised therapy as a crucial support tool and advised others to seek help
  • Shared insights into life with two young children and how routines have changed her
  • Confirmed she will perform at the Women’s Rugby World Cup opening ceremony on 22 August

Anne-Marie opens up about motherhood and mental health

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2 this morning (16 July), speaking to Scott Mills about the mental and physical challenges she has faced after becoming a mother of two. The artist, known for hits including 2002 and Friends, reflected on the impact of motherhood on her mental health and creative life.

Returning to music while raising a family

Anne-Marie revealed that adjusting to life with two children while returning to the music industry has been “really difficult”. She is mother to daughter Seven, aged one, and a baby son who is just two months old.

Keep ReadingShow less