Persistence and migration of tetracycline, sulfonamide, fluoroquinolone, and macrolide antibiotics in streams using a simulated hydrodynamic system. (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Xiaowei; Lv, Kai; Deng, Chengxun; Yu, Zhimin; Shi, Jianghong; Johnson, Andrew C.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 252(2019):Part B
• Page Start: 1532
• Page End: 1538
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Attenuation -- Hyporheic exchange -- Conservative tracer -- Water-sediment system -- Flume experiment; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.095
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: The potential persistence and migration of 14 antibiotics comprising sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides and tetracyclines were conducted using a 50-d recirculating flume study supported by batch attenuation experiments with spiked concentrations. The study demonstrated that photodegradation was the dominant attenuation process for these antibiotics in the water environment. The half-lives of 2–26 d were in order of sulfadiazine > sulfadimethoxine > sulfamerazine > sulfamethoxazole > sulfamethazine > sulfathiazole > ofloxacin > enrofloxacin > norfloxacin > ciprofloxacin > erythromycin > tetracycline > roxithromycin > oxytetracycline. These modest half-lives meant that the antibiotics were predicted to travel 30–400 km down a typical river before half the concentration would be lost. All antibiotics were detected on the surface sediment in the flume study. Under hyporheic exchange, some of them continually migrated into the deeper sediment and also the sediment pore water. All fluoroquinolones were detected in the sediments. The sulfonamides were detected in the pore water with relatively high concentrations and frequencies. Sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine and sulfathiazole in the upper layer pore water were found to be approaching equilibrium with the surface water. The high presence of sulfonamides in the pore water indicated that their high mobility and persistence potentially pose a risk to hyporheic zone. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Attenuation of 14 antibiotics was studied for 50 d in a simulated stream. Persistence was in order of sulfonamides > quinolones > macrolides > tetracyclines. Photodegradation was the dominant attenuation mechanism. All quinolones were detected in the lower layer sediments at15 cm depth. Sulfonamides were present in the sediment pore water with high concentrations. Abstract : Capsule: Natural attenuation of antibiotics in streams.