Identification of Antibiotics in Surface-Groundwater. A Tool towards the Ecopharmacovigilance Approach: A Portuguese Case-Study

Abstract

Environmental monitoring, particularly of water, is crucial to screen and preselect potential hazardous substances for policy guidance and risk minimisation strategies. In Portugal, extensive data are missing. This work aimed to perform a qualitative survey of antibiotics in surface- groundwater, reflecting demographic, spatial, consumption and drug profiles during an observational period of three years. A passive sampling technique (POCIS) and high-resolution chromatographic system were used to monitor and analyse the antibiotics. The most frequently detected antibiotics were enrofloxacin/ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in surface-groundwater, while clarithromycin/erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole were identified only in surface water. The detection of enzyme inhibitors (e.g., tazobactam/cilastatin) used exclusively in hospitals and abacavir, a specific human medicine was also noteworthy. North (Guimarães, Santo Tirso and Porto) and South (Faro, Olhão and Portimão) Portugal were the regions with the most significant frequency of substances in surface water. The relatively higher detection downstream of the effluent discharge points compared with a low detection upstream could be attributed to a low efficiency in urban wastewater treatment plants and an increased agricultural pressure. This screening approach is essential to identify substances in order to perform future quantitative risk assessment and establishing water quality standards. The greatest challenge of this survey data is to promote an ecopharmacovigilance framework, implement measures to avoid misuse/overuse of antibiotics and slow down emission and antibiotic resistance.

Long-Term Study of Antibiotic Presence in Ebro River Basin (Spain): Identification of the Emission Sources

“…The presence of trimethoprim in WWTPs was especially widespread in this study, appearing in the entirety of the effluents and showing an average concentration near 400 ng/L. However, concentrations of this substance up to 1866 ng/L have been reported in several WWTPs in Greece [59].…”

Recovery of the Structure and Function of the Pig Manure Bacterial Community after Enrofloxacin Exposure

“…Both pork and groundwater can have high concentrations of enrofloxacin residues, so the human intestinal bacterial community is also at risk of exposure to enrofloxacin ( 24 , 52 , 53 ). This study revealed that exposure to enrofloxacin can cause changes in the structure and function of the intestinal bacterial community.…”

Synthesis of neodymium ferrite incorporated graphitic carbonitride (NdFe2O4@g-C3N4) and its application in the photodegradation of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin in a water system

“…They have been transferred by leaching into environmental water systems such as surface and underground water systems, which can serve as drinking water sources. 3 Authors have detected antibiotics in different drinking water sources, [4][5][6] and due to the current challenge of incomplete removal of antibiotics in treated drinking water sources, antibiotic contaminated water sources have become worrisome. A recent study has reported the presence of antibiotics in bottled water and other drinking water sold on the market.…”