Antibiotic resistance has increased significantly over time. Key factors contributing to this problem include the improper use of antibiotics in medical settings, the misuse of antimicrobials in animal farming, and the presence of antibiotics in the environment, such as through sewage transmission and cemetery soil, which increases the risk of further transmission.
Graveyard soil is known to be contaminated with heavy metals and other hazardous elements, but little is known about its effect on antibiotic resistance. Cemeteries may play a key role in the spread of antibiotic resistance due to limited rules governing burial practices and graveyard management, particularly in areas that are prone to microbial incursion into the environment, such as lakes. Only a few studies have been carried out on this topic, but they all corroborate the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in graveyard soil. Given bacteria's potential to transfer antibiotic resistance, these findings are concerning and require further investigation.
My PhD project examines the significance of graveyard soil as a potential reservoir for antibiotic resistance. Soil samples were collected from a few cemeteries in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship near water reservoirs, including on the surface and beneath coffins during exhumations. The samples were examined for the presence of micro-organisms that are resistant to certain antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefuroxime, doxycycline, and tetracycline), as well as genes linked with resistance to β-lactams and tetracyclines and sulfonamides.
Variations in resistant colony counts were discovered based on the sampling depth, and resistance genes were also identified, demonstrating that cemeteries may actually function as sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes.
Inappropriate cemetery placement, such as being located on the hills or near water bodies with high groundwater levels, may hasten the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes from graveyards to the surrounding natural environment. More research is needed to properly understand the function of cemeteries in spreading antibiotic resistance.
