Role of antibiotic residues in development of antibiotic resistance in coastal bacterial communities

Antibiotics are becoming pollutants in water due to inadequate treatment, improper dumping, and agricultural runoff. This leads to antibiotic resistance, endangering human health and marine aquatic life. The Gulf of Khambhat in India faces increasing antibiotic contamination from industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and aquaculture effluents. Bacterial resistance profiling revealed widespread multidrug resistance, even in undetectable residues. The Gulf’s ecological and economic significance underscores the need for stricter wastewater management and pollution control to curb antibiotic-resistant bacteria’s spread.