The Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Agricultural Environments: Pesticides Are a Neglected Driving Factor

A ntibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as a type of biological emerging contaminant, are widely present in various environmental matrices such as water, soil, air, animal manure, and the human gut. 1 Human activities continuously release ARGs into the environment, leading to their persistent enrichment in environmental compartments.From the perspective of "One Health", the global threat of ARGs is related to modern agricultural practices, including the application of agrochemicals. 2 However, current policies and research mainly focus on the issue of antibiotic abuse, while the widespread presence of pesticides in agricultural environments and their potential impacts on ARGs have not received sufficient attention for a long time.While paying attention to the contribution of livestock breeding and medical waste to antibiotic resistance genes in the environment, we must also recognize that the widespread use of pesticides, including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, is a powerful but underestimated selection pressure and driving factor for the generation, enrichment, and spread of ARGs (Figure 1).The driving effect of pesticides on ARGs is not accidental.The multiple pathways of its action jointly constitute an undeniable selection pressure, and this process can be carried