Wastewater alert: research highlights antimicrobial resistance risk

As the dumping of untreated wastewater into the sea sparks pollution warnings, new research has identified a “significant risk” of increasing antibiotic resistance associated with wastewater systems across the UK.

A research team, led by the University of Exeter, has carried out the most comprehensive assessment of risks posed by antibiotics in the environment in the UK to date, now published in the journal Environment International.

The team discovered that the levels of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin are likely to result in increased antibiotic resistance in wastewater and, in some cases, potentially in rivers. Ciprofloxacin is commonly used to treat respiratory, skin, and urinary tract infections, amongst other conditions.