Data-Driven Risk Assessment of Antibiotic Mixtures Threatens Ecosystem and Human Health

Strategic Insights -

Climate change-fueled epidemic outbreaks have increased the use of antibiotics, leading to more antibacterial substances entering the environment. Residual drugs, often found in mixtures, can pose a threat to human health and the ecosystem by targeting bacteria. Researchers at Shanghai University conducted a study to assess the risk of antibiotic mixtures using bacteria as model organisms. The study found that sulfonamides, sulfonamides potentiators, and tetracyclines exhibited individual and combined toxicity against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri and Escherichia coli). The researchers constructed quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict the toxicity of single agents and binary mixtures, revealing hormetic effects in Gram-negative bacteria and S-shaped dose-responses in Gram-positive bacteria.

Key Takeaways:

  • The increasing use of antibiotics due to epidemic outbreaks under climate change leads to more antibacterial substances entering the environment, posing a threat to human health and the ecosystem.
  • The residual drugs, commonly found as mixtures, can target bacteria, resulting in the potential harm to ecosystems and human health.
  • The study assessed the risk of antibiotic mixtures using bacteria as model organisms, focusing on sulfonamides, sulfonamides potentiators, and tetracyclines.
  • The researchers constructed quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict the toxicity of single agents and binary mixtures, revealing hormetic effects in Gram-negative bacteria.
  • The study demonstrated the influence of bacterial species and test endpoints on the toxicity of antibiotics and clarified the pivotal role of hormesis in the joint effects of antibiotics.
  • The findings provide a data-driven methodology for evaluating the combined toxicity of mixtures, promoting the development of risk assessment of antibiotics and other environmental pollutants.
  • The researchers emphasized the importance of assessing antibiotic mixtures to prevent environmental and human health risks associated with the use of these substances.

Statistics:

  • 2025: The year the study was conducted and published.
  • 109639: The identifier for the study in the Environment International journal.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd: The publisher of the Environment International journal.
  • 719: The page number of the news report in Information Technology Newsweekly.
  • 2025: The copyright year of the news report.

Sources:

  • Data-driven risk assessment of antibiotic mixtures against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria: QSAR, joint toxic action, and component contribution. Environment International, 2025;202:109639.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd. The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.
  • Fangyu Xu, Key Laboratory of Organic Compound Pollution Control Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China.
  • Haoyu Sun, Ruijia Luo, Ying Liu, Jiajun Wang, Bo Lei, Liang Tang, Xianjuan Pu, and Minghong Wu.