The Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) held a new edition of its Flash Seminars on March 23, 2026, fully dedicated to antibiotic resistance, one of the main global public health and environmental challenges.

The session opened with a presentation by José L. Balcázar, who introduced the general framework of antibiotic resistance, outlining its emergence and spread in the environment and emphasizing the need to address this challenge through an integrated, cross-sectoral strategy aligned with the One Health approach.

Next, Zhi Mei explained how resistance can enter the food chain through agricultural practices. Using a carrot crop case study, she demonstrated the transfer and accumulation of resistance genes in plant tissues and proposed simple risk-reduction measures for consumers, such as peeling root vegetables.

The session also highlighted the role of water systems in the dissemination of resistance. Erika A. Rodríguez presented findings from several studies in Latin America, pointing out key knowledge gaps and the urgent need to improve wastewater treatment and monitoring systems to mitigate public health risks.

At a more local scale, Pamela J. Colman Vega presented an innovative study conducted in the city of Girona, showing that antibiotic resistance is not evenly distributed across neighborhoods, but is influenced by socioeconomic factors.

Finally, Anna Pico Tomàs analyzed the relationship between antibiotic consumption estimated from prescription data and the presence of these compounds and resistance genes in wastewater from five Spanish cities. The study highlights the complexity of this relationship and the complementary value of different data sources for public health decision-making.

Overall, this edition of the Flash Seminars underscored the importance of developing integrated strategies for monitoring and managing antimicrobial resistance, reinforcing the role of research in generating knowledge applicable at both global and local scales.