BOOK REVIEW Patricia L. Keen and Mark H. M. M. Montforts (eds): Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment Wiley-Blackwell, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-470-90542-5 Charles W. Knapp Accepted: 20 March 2013 / Published online: 28 March 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013 There is significant concern amongst scientists and regu- lators, especially in public health and agriculture (and increasingly in the general public), about the emergence, spread, and prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment. One common concern is that bacteria may be acquiring resistance traits, which diminish the efficacy of antimicrobials in combating infections, and that resulting ‘‘superbugs’’ threaten health care systems glob- ally. The impact of antimicrobial resistance on the econ- omy may not, at times, be obvious; but nevertheless, it can be vast. The consequences for public health and agriculture include prolonged treatment times, increased medical costs, mortality and morbidity, and reduced productivity of the workforce. For example, the highly publicised methi- cillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) evolved from common (and rarely pathogenic) bacteria of the skin and respiratory tract. Over time and as a result of selective pressures, it has become a superbug resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin and similar chemicals). Con- tainment of MRSA cost UK hospitals £100,000 per week (*US$150,000), and resistant infections cost the US economy $20 billion per year (WHO 2011). Healthcare agencies recognise the hazard of antimicrobial resistance and have implemented various measures to minimize the risk it poses; however, new superbugs continue to emerge despite some of our best efforts. Simply put, and as stated by the World Health Organisation (2001), ‘‘antibiotic resistance costs money, livelihood and lives; it is […]a threat to global stability and national security.’’ Antimicrobial resistant bacteria are not confined only to hospitals and areas of intensive livestock agriculture; they are also often found at elevated levels in the soils, sedi- ments, surface and ground waters of the broader environ- ment. Researchers throughout the world have investigated this issue over the last few decades, and quite a few are featured in the new book, ‘‘Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment’’ edited by Drs. Patricia Keen (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) and Mark Montforts (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands). The book represents one of the most recent compilations of information about antimi- crobial resistance, and one of the first with an emphasis on the environment. We have a lot to learn about antimicrobial resistance in this area, despite active and ongoing progress in the field. Most importantly, we need to better understand the impacts of resistance in the environment and the link- ages to (and subsequent consequences for) agriculture and healthcare. As such, any incremental improvement in the understanding, management, and control of resistance in the environment could translate to a savings in our health, and in the economy as a whole. With over sixty international researchers contributing to the book’s twenty-eight chapters, a wide diversity of view- points is presented. The book presents state of knowledge and provides a global perspective of the issue. Discussions range from microbiology and environmental monitoring to chemistry and policy. There is a balanced representation of municipal, agricultural, and pristine environments. The divisionof the book into four sections: ‘‘Sources’’, ‘‘Fate’’, ‘‘Antimicrobial Substances and Resistance’’, and ‘‘Effects and Risks’’ not only helps to orient the reader based on their own interests, but also makes clear that there are numerous angles that warrant consideration. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report (United Nations 2005) identified the in situ retention and transport of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (and their genes) as a central C. W. Knapp (&) University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK e-mail: charles.knapp@strath.ac.uk 123 Ecotoxicology (2013) 22:761–762 DOI 10.1007/s10646-013-1067-8