Nationwide monitoring of selected antibiotics: Distribution and sources of sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and macrolides in Japanese rivers

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 409; no. 24; pp. 5305 - 5312
• Main Authors: Murata, Ayako, Takada, Hideshige, Mutoh, Kunihiro, Hosoda, Hiroshi, Harada, Arata, Nakada, Norihide
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15-11-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Antibiotics; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Continental surface waters; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Japan; Livestock; Livestock waste; Macrolides - analysis; Molecular markers; Monitoring; Natural water pollution; Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs); Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Sewage; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Sulfamethoxazole; Sulfonamides - analysis; Trimethoprim; Trimethoprim - analysis; Veterinary; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Asia; Japan; Molecular markers; Sulfamethoxazole; Sewage; Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs); Monitoring; Livestock waste; Drug; Farming animal; Sulfonamide; Trimethoprim; PPCPs; Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products; Molecular marker; Veterinary medicine; Macrolide; Waste water; Antibiotic; Surveillance; Surface water; Agriculture; Stream; Water pollution; Agricultural waste; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.09.014

We report the results of a nationwide survey of commonly used human and veterinary antibiotics (7 sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and 4 macrolides) in 37 Japanese rivers. Concentrations of the sum of the 12 target antibiotics ranged from undetectable to 626ng/L, with a median of 7.3ng/L for the 37 rivers. Antibiotics concentrations were higher in urban rivers than in rural rivers and were correlated with those of molecular markers of sewage (crotamiton and carbamazepine). Macrolides were dominant over sulfonamides in urban rivers. Sulfonamides, especially sulfamethazine (used in animals), were dominant in a few rivers in whose catchment animal husbandry is active. However, these signals of veterinary antibiotics were overwhelmed by those of human antibiotics in lower reaches of most rivers. The analysis of the antibiotics in all 88 samples showed that the target antibiotics in Japanese rivers are derived mainly from urban sewage, even though larger amounts of antibiotics are used in livestock. Most of the livestock waste-derived antibiotics are unlikely to be readily discharged to surface waters.
► Nationwide survey of human and veterinary antibiotics in 37 rivers was conducted. ► Antibiotics concentrations were correlated with sewage markers. ► Veterinary antibiotics signals were overwhelmed by those of human antibiotics. ► Target antibiotics in Japanese rivers are derived mainly from urban sewage. ► Animal antibiotics are unlikely to be readily discharged to surface waters.