Abstract / Summary
Wastewater, most favourable medium to foster the evolution/emergence and persistence of antimicrobial resistance. With the presence of high concentrations of innate-microorganisms they become the ideal reservoir promoting the genetic mixing and evolution of life-threatening drug-resistant microbes. Efficacy of the traditional wastewater treatment techniques depends on the treatment methodology and materials used and relentless efforts on advancing these methods have led to the invention of the modern robust techniques. However, successful removal of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance from wastewater is still a global challenge and prevalence of such conditions creates a serious risk to ecosystem health with the possible emergence of pandemics, epidemics and endemics threatening global economy. Though national and global action plans have been framed to address the issue, it is quite imperative to develop stringent strategies based on time-to-time global, national, and regional data guidelines. In this perspective, the review has systematically overviewed the sources and mechanisms involved in the emergence and persistence of AMRs in wastewater; available detection methods; its impact on the ecosystem health; and future mitigative directions following a highly structured literature search strategy specific to the topics discussed. Moreover, the review has attempted to outline the information on wastewater AMR transmission potential and their global impact in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals such as Good health and well-being (SDG3), Clean water and sanitation (SDG6), Life below water (SDG14) and Life on land (SDG15).
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-026-01004-z.