Antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosols: Emerging, non-ignorable and pernicious pollutants

Harmful effects of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water and soil have been widely studied. However, the transmission and hazards of airborne ARGs has attracted insufficient attention. ARGs in the air are usually carried by bioaerosols , affected by weather conditions, and threaten human health through inhalation or intake. This review contributes to the literature on controlling ARG pollution in the air by focusing on the transmission pathway, comprehensively analyzing factors influencing the generation and propagation of ARGs in bioaerosols, and overviewing the sources of ARGs in bioaerosols. Additionally, the composite contamination of ARGs in bioaerosols including heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons is also proposed, which has been ignored in previous studies and can complicate ARG control. Finally, the challenges and outlooks are addressed, which is constructive for the development of technologies for antibiotic and airborne ARG contamination remediation and blocking risk migration. ● Human-impacted environments and natural environments are sources of airborne ARGs. ● ARGs in bioaerosols can spread in a wide range with the help of natural conditions. ● Compound pollution in the air aggravates ARG pollution in bioaerosols. ● Complicated environmental factors affect the transmission of airborne ARG pollution.