Nationwide survey shows nonantibiotic organic pollutants alter soil resistance and element cycling functions, indicating ecological risks in agriculture.
Greenhouse farming expansion worsens soil antimicrobial resistance. Environmental impacts of antibiotics are well-documented, yet nonantibiotic organic pollutants (NAOPs) remain vastly understudied. A nationwide soil comparison examined four common NAOP effects on elemental cycling genes (ECGs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in paired greenhouse and open-field samples. Greenhouse soils held far richer nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycling genes and markedly higher ARG loads. Their microbiome featured more complex, tightly synergistic ecological interaction networks. Structural equation modeling revealed NAOPs regulate ARGs directly and indirectly via ECG-microbe cascades while suppressing native microbiota. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) directly altered ARG profiles, dominating ARG abundance variation at 46.1%. The P═S functional group of OPPs was the key structural motif driving ARG accumulation. This study clarified NAOPs' resistance-fueling molecular mechanisms and offered valuable references for ecological risk evaluation in intensive agricultural production systems.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
He et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: