Country-level antibiotic risk assessment in the multiple environmental matrices based on decennial data

The overuse of antibiotics has led to widespread environmental detection, but the global risks of antibiotic resistance remain unclear. A study analyzed antibiotic detection frequencies and concentrations across 45 countries, revealing that Kenya had the highest cumulative detection frequencies. Wastewater from WWTPs and animal manure showed the highest levels of antibiotics. Malaysia, China, and Canada ranked the top three for both PNECs and MICs risk. Sulfonamides were the most exceedance-prone and highest-risk antibiotic class. The highest antibiotic risks were observed in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa.