1. Alterra, SKB consortium "antibiotica in de bodem", ECT Oekotoxikologie
2. German consortium "Erfassung und Analyse des Bodenzustands"

1. SKB
2. Umweltbundesamt Germany

The aim of this project is to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of antibiotics as environmental pollutants, and to elucidate the role of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment for transfer of resistance to humans. A second aim is to improve risk assessment methodologies for the ecotoxicology of microbial communities in soil.

1. Experimental study on the prevalence of resistance genes in manured soils
2. Literature study on the suitability of microbial test systems for the assessment of soil quality

1. In the SKB project, literature research is coupled with experimental research on the prevalence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes in manured soils and on the occurrence of antibiotic residues in groundwater below agricultural fields.
2. The Umweltbundesamt project investigates whether and how soil quality assessment could include data on biodiversity. Data from German soil monitoring sites will be interpreted, and proposals for soil biological monitoring will be given.

• Water and soil as vector for transmission of antibiotic resistance
• The baseline of carbon transformation in Dutch soils