Struvite fertiliser offers a sustainable solution for recycling of phosphorus for crop growth without altering the soil resistome

Abstract Background The reserves of rock phosphate, used to produce fertilisers, are being exhausted by the ever-increasing pressure to meet the food demands of a growing world population. Sustainable alternatives are urgently needed, and struvite, a renewable phosphorus fertiliser recovered from waste streams such as animal manure, offers a promising solution. However, other manure-derived fertilisers have been associated with the promotion of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in soil, raising concerns about whether struvite might pose similar risks. Despite this, the impact of struvite on the soil resistome remains poorly understood. Methods This study assesses the AMR risk associated with Xiamen struvite (XIA), produced from piggery wastewater, compared with two commercial fertilisers: Crystal Green (CG) and Triple Super Phosphate (TSP), and an…