Antibiotic-Resistant Genes and Bacteria as Evolving Contaminants of Emerging Concerns (e-CEC): Is It Time to Include Evolution in Risk Assessment?

The pressing issue of the abundance antibiotic resistance genes and resistant bacteria in environment (ARGs ARB, respectively) requires procedures for assessing risk to health. chemo-centric environmental assessment models identify hazard(s) a dose–response manner, obtaining exposure, toxicity, risk, impact policy. However, this approach based on ARGs/ARB evaluation from quantitative viewpoint shows high unpredictability because cannot be considered as standard hazardous molecules: ARB duplicate ARGs evolve within biological host. are currently listed Contaminants Emerging Concern (CEC). In light such characteristics, we propose define new category evolving CEC (or e-CEC). ARGs/ARB, like any other determinants (e.g., viruses, bacteria, genes), escape controls. When they do so, just one molecule left remaining at control point can form origin dangerous selection-responsive population. As consequence, perhaps it is time acknowledge trait include evolutionary concepts modern e-CEC. perspective analyze responses most likely influence assessment, speculate means by which current methods could measure evolution. Further work required implement exploit experimental future protocols.