Editorial: Impacts of metal and xenobiotic-induced stress on antibiotic resistance in microbial communities

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the most 14 serious global threats to public health and sustainable development. Although antibiotic misuse and 15 overuse remain the primary drivers, there is increasing awareness that other anthropogenic stressors-16 such as toxic and essential metals, biocides, disinfectants, and xenobiotics-also play a crucial roles in 17 promoting resistance. These substances, widely used in medicine, agriculture, and industry, often enter 18 the environment through wastewater or surface runoff, where they can co-select for resistant bacteria 19 and resistance genes even in the absence of antibiotics. 20The environmental dimension of AMR, long overshadowed by clinical research, is now recognized as 21 integral to the One Health concept that links human, animal, and ecosystem health.