Meta-analysis of biochar effects on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in soil-plant systems and manure.
Wu J, Zheng J, Zhou M, Liu S, Wang J
Soil Health
If you grow vegetables in soil that's been amended with manure or compost, biochar mixed into your beds may substantially reduce how much antibiotic residue your food crops absorb from the ground.
Farmers and gardeners sometimes add manure to their soil, but manure can carry leftover antibiotics and bacteria that have learned to resist those antibiotics. Researchers pooled results from many experiments worldwide and found that biochar — a charcoal-like material made by burning organic matter — dramatically lowers both the antibiotic chemicals and the resistance traits in soil, plants, and manure. The effect was especially strong for the most dangerous resistance types found inside plant tissue.
Key Findings
Biochar reduced antibiotic concentrations in plants by 59.1%, in manure by 47.9%, and in soil by 35.0%.
Antibiotic resistance gene abundance dropped by 31–63% (absolute) and 40–67% (relative) across soil, plants, and manure.
Biochar showed the strongest mitigation of high-risk resistance genes in plants and of mobile genetic elements — the DNA packages that spread resistance between bacteria — in soil and manure.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A large-scale analysis of dozens of studies found that adding biochar to soil significantly reduces antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistance genes in soil, plants, and manure — cutting antibiotic levels in plants by nearly 60% and resistance genes by up to 67%.
Abstract Preview
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), recognized as emerging biological contaminants, pose a significant risk to human health due to the widespread and excessive antibiotic use. In this context, bioc...
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