Antibiotics in global rivers

Abstract

Antibiotics have received extensive attention due to their sophisticated effects on human health and ecosystems. However, there is an extreme scarcity of information on composition, content, geographic distribution, and risk of riverine antibiotics at a large spatial scale. Based on a systematic review of over 600 pieces of literature (1999-2021), we established a global dataset containing more than 90,000 records covering 169 antibiotics and their metabolites in surface water and sediment across 76 countries. The occurrence of prioritized antibiotics largely depended on socioeconomic developmental levels, and the current "hotspots" of polluted rivers were found mostly in less developed countries or emerging economies (e.g., some in Africa, South America, and Asia). By developing the screening protocol for risk-based prioritization of antibiotics, we advanced a rank list of antibiotics for guiding formulation of region-specific strategies, which highlighted the importance of whole life cycle management of antibiotics in health maintenance of the world's rivers.

Suspect and Nontarget Screening Reveal the Underestimated Risks of Antibiotic Transformation Products in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents

“…68 AETM has been widely included in environmental scrutiny, while EAEE is rarely investigated. 1 AETM and EAEE underwent a series of similar transformations to the parent ETM (Figure S7), mainly including N/O-demethylation, cleavage, or dehydrogenation of the cladinose moiety, hydroxylation, N-oxidation, and phosphorylation catalyzed by phosphotransferases. 45 AETM as the dominant compound contributed 38.7% on average to ∑(parent + TPs) (Figure S15a).…”

Nontarget Discovery of Antimicrobial Transformation Products in Wastewater Based on Molecular Networks

“…Antimicrobials are naturally occurring, semi-synthetic, or synthetic compounds with antimicrobial activity, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics, commonly used in humans and veterinary medicine for the prevention and treatment of infections and as growth promoters in agriculture and fish farming . In recent years, the occurrence and fate of antimicrobials in the environment, including surface water, groundwater, and soil, have caused great concern worldwide. − Antimicrobials from industries, hospitals, and domestic sources are released into the environment through the effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), − aquaculture and livestock farming wastewater, , and agricultural runoff . WWTPs are one of the dominant sources of antimicrobials .…”

Efficient identification and degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride from water by molecularly imprinted core–shell structured SiO2@TiO2

“…It may be enriched, concentrated, and transmitted through the food chain, leading to joint diseases, kidney diseases, endocrine disruption, central nervous system defects, mutagenicity, and possible photosensitivity changes. 9 However, traditional water treatment methods cannot completely degrade antibiotic residues and their metabolites. Therefore, TC can be detected in wastewater treatment plants effluent and in drinking water.…”