Double-edged sword of FeS oxidation in estuarine and coastal sediments: accelerating elemental cycling yet enhancing antibiotic resistance enrichment.

FeS oxidation in estuarine and coastal sediments significantly accelerates ARG enrichment and dissemination, with a 2.5-fold increase linked to microbial metabolic activity.

• Why it matters: Understanding how biogeochemical processes influence antibiotic resistance spread is crucial for managing environmental and public health risks in vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
• What they did: Researchers performed microcosm experiments and field studies, analyzing microbial communities, metabolic pathways, and ARG abundance across 50 sediment samples, focusing on FeS oxidation effects.
• The result: Findings reveal that FeS oxidation promotes ARG proliferation through enrichment of Proteobacteria and enhanced sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycling, though oxygen conditions can also suppress ARG spread, emphasizing the importance of redox dynamics in resistance management.