{"id":7654,"date":"2024-06-14T14:57:20","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/?p=7654"},"modified":"2024-06-14T14:57:20","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:57:20","slug":"antimicrobial-resistance-its-connection-to-water-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/antimicrobial-resistance-its-connection-to-water-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Antimicrobial Resistance & Its Connection to Water Quality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Antimicrobial resistance (often abbreviated to AMR) is quickly becoming a serious public health issue. You may have heard of things like the growing problem with MRSA in hospitals, but AMR generally is set to skyrocket as a public health issue on a global scale \u2013 with some researchers predicting that it\u2019ll be on par with cancer as <\/span>a leading cause of death by 2050<\/span><\/a> globally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What actually <\/span>causes <\/span><\/i>antimicrobial resistance is complex \u2013 involving numerous factors over large scales and timeframes \u2013\u00a0but one of the most overlooked factors is that of water quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at what exactly AMR is, why it\u2019s a problem, the role of water in its growth, and what can be done to avoid it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Antimicrobial drugs are the cornerstone of modern medicine \u2013 drugs like antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antiparasitics are, in many cases, the last line of defence against each respective pathogen. Now, pathogens are alive, which means that they gradually evolve resistances to substances that harm them.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, antimicrobial resistance is a real-time proof of \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d at the microbial scale..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The core problem with the rise of AMR is that the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medications in humans, animals, and agriculture has <\/span>accelerated<\/span><\/i> the evolution of resistance. This has led to the emergence of what many are calling \u201csuperbugs\u201d that are largely or entirely immune to medicinal methods of treatment. This makes them extremely dangerous because, without medicinal backup, the only defence is a body\u2019s immune system \u2013\u00a0which tends to not be particularly effective against new and aggressive pathogens.<\/span><\/p>\n

We should note here that we\u2019re using the term \u201cpathogens\u201d instead of \u201cbacteria\u201d, \u201cviruses\u201d, and so on because pathogens are specifically <\/span>harmful <\/span><\/i>microbes \u2013 there are actually countless<\/span> microbes that we not only <\/span>benefit <\/span><\/i>from but that, as humans, we entirely rely on.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The role of water in the spread of AMR<\/span><\/h2>\n

Almost all pathogens will die quite quickly without access to water. Even airborne pathogens can only live for a maximum of 5-6 hours while in the air \u2013 and even then only if the air is humid enough. Some pathogens can survive for longer (sometimes up to a few days) on certain surfaces, but usually only when protected by water droplets or some water-carrying substance (like mucus). Most pathogens die within minutes outside of a host or suitable medium.<\/span><\/p>\n

Essentially, water is to microbes what air is to humans.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why water <\/span>quality<\/span><\/i> is so crucial here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How water gets contaminated<\/span><\/h2>\n

Water sources get contaminated in various ways. In order to not open up a serious can of worms, we\u2019ll only refer to freshwater sources here rather than saltwater because saltwater contamination has a <\/span>different and more complex cycle<\/span><\/a> involving considerably more than AMR growth; for example, there\u2019s credible evidence that marine life is being <\/span>seriously affected by untreated pharmaceuticals<\/span><\/a> from sewage released into the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, underground aquifers, and reservoirs can become contaminated primarily through the release of untreated sewage, from agricultural runoff, and from industrial pollutants.<\/span><\/p>\n

In practice, industrial pollutants aren\u2019t such a significant factor for freshwater contamination in the UK anymore because of two main reasons. Firstly, we don\u2019t have a great deal of manufacturing industry left and, secondly, manufacturers that remain are under greater scrutiny from regulatory bodies after the industrial excesses of the 19th and 20th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Untreated sewage and agricultural runoff, however, are really serious forms of contamination.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What happens when water is contaminated by pathogens?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The most immediate threat from contaminated water is simply that people become sick. This is, for the most part, not an issue when we\u2019re referring to <\/span>tap <\/span><\/i>water because <\/span>tap water is so heavily treated<\/span><\/a> in the UK (through lots of filtration as well as various disinfectant methods) \u2013 but contaminated freshwater sources like rivers and lakes create ample opportunity for pathogens to infect humans.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a dog might jump into a contaminated river, a person may swim in the river unknowingly (usually downstream from the contamination source, where contamination is no longer obvious), or pathogens may become \u201cairborne\u201d when water is kicked up by heavy winds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans can then spread these pathogens in the same way any virus or bacteria is spread: through contact or shedding (such as sneezing and coughing).<\/span><\/p>\n

But, most crucially, <\/span>contaminated water<\/span><\/a> creates the perfect breeding ground for <\/span>more <\/span><\/i>resistant microbes. When large numbers of pathogens are in regular contact\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

with each other in a body of water, gene transfer can occur \u2013 where pathogens \u201cpass on\u201d certain resistances to each other. This can even happen between <\/span>different <\/span><\/i>pathogenic species, so it can quickly cause mutations that we couldn\u2019t have imagined.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Can\u2019t people choose not to swim in contaminated water?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Yes, people can certainly \u201cchoose\u201d not to swim in contaminated water. But the personal choice of the human doesn\u2019t justify the release of waste because we <\/span>aren\u2019t the only creatures<\/span><\/i> to live around and depend upon water sources. These pathogens and contaminants also<\/span> pose a serious threat for all life around those sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, sewage and industrial runoff affect all downstream habitats from the source of pollution. They can get into downstream marsh habitats that are also frequently used for grazing and then create a serious risk of contaminating the grazing animals themselves but also all of the wild birds and mammals that live in that habitat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those birds then tend to migrate \u2013 or at least move around a reasonably large area searching for food \u2013 which then poses threats to <\/span>other <\/span><\/i>farm animals and <\/span>other <\/span><\/i>wildlife. While it\u2019s unclear how much of an effect water quality has had on it, avian flu is a perfect case to illustrate how easily spreadable pathogens can become when infecting migratory species.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a moral issue to protect habitats here, but there\u2019s also a fundamental need to protect them because we rely on their complexity for our survival.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The best ways to address contamination<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no single \u201cbest way\u201d to address water contamination because it happens in such complex ways. But what needs to happen is tighter regulation, stricter consequences for failing to meet those regulations, and effective water monitoring to gather data and support regulatory efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to invest in <\/span>quality <\/span><\/i>water quality monitoring equipment, <\/span>browse our products<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>get in touch with our helpful team<\/span><\/a> to discuss your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antimicrobial resistance (often abbreviated to AMR) is quickly becoming a serious public health issue. You may have heard of things like the growing problem with MRSA in hospitals, but AMR generally is set to skyrocket<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nAntimicrobial Resistance & Its Connection to Water Quality \u2013 Aquaread<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Antimicrobial resistance is quickly becoming a serious concern that affects numerous industries and poses a real threat to our future health. 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