Ecological and human health risks of antibiotics in marine species through mass transfer from sea to land in a coastal area: A case study in Qinzhou Bay, the South China sea. (1st January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Cong; Lu, Yonglong; Sun, Bin; Zhang, Meng; Wang, Chenchen; Xiu, Cuo; Johnson, Andrew C.; Wang, Pei
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 316(2023)part 1
• Publication Date: 2023-01-01
• Subjects: Antibiotics -- Marine species -- Ecological risk -- Human health risk -- Beibu gulf; 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.2022.120502
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Antibiotics have been detected in aquatic environment around the world. Understanding internal concentrations of antibiotics in organisms could further improve risk governance. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of seven sulfonamides, four tetracyclines, five fluoroquinolones, and five macrolides antibiotics in six fish, four crustaceans, and five mollusks species collected from Qinzhou Bay, an important part of the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea in 2018. 19 of all the 21 target antibiotics were detectable in biota. The total concentrations of the antibiotics ranged from 15.2 to 182 ng/g dry weight in all marine organisms, with sulfonamides and macrolides being the most abundant antibiotics. Mollusks accumulated more antibiotics than fish and crustaceans, implying the species-specific bioaccumulation of antibiotics. The pH dependent partition coefficients of antibiotics exhibited significantly positive correlation with their concentrations in organisms. The ecological risk assessment suggested that marine species in Qinzhou Bay were threatened by azithromycin and norfloxacin. The annual mass loading of antibiotics from Qinzhou Bay to the coastal land area for human ingestion via marine fishery catches was 4.02 kg, with mollusks being the predominant migration contributor. The estimated daily intakes of erythromycin indicated that consumption of seafood from Qinzhou Bay posed considerable risks to children (2–5 years old). The results in this study provide important insights for antibiotics pollution assessment and risk management. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Antibiotics were found in coastal organisms and water of South China Sea. Coastal species were threatened by azithromycin and norfloxacin. 4.02 kg of antibiotics were bio-transferred via marine catches for human ingestion annually. Local residents were likely to be exposed to erythromycin via seafood consumption.