Monitoring Antibiotic Residues and Corresponding Antibiotic Resistance Genes in an Agroecosystem

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been commonly reported due to the overuse worldwide of antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse disturbs the environment and threatens public human health. The objective of this study was to measure the residual concentrations of veterinary antibiotics in the tetracycline group (TCs), including tetracycline (TC) and chlortetracycline (CTC), as well as those in the sulfonamide group (SAs), including sulfamethazine (SMT), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and sulfathiazole (STZ). We also isolated the corresponding ARGs in the agroecosystem. Four sediment samples and two rice paddy soil samples were collected from sites near a swine composting facility along the Naerincheon River in Hongcheon, Korea. High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was employed with a solid-phase extraction method to measure the concentration of each antibiotic. ARGs were identified by the qualitative polymerase chain-reaction using synthetic primers. SAs and their corresponding ARGs were highly detected in sediment samples whereas TCs were not detected except for sediments sample #1. ARGs for TCs and SAs were detected in rice paddy soils, while ARGs for TCs were only found in sediment #2 and #4. Continuous monitoring of antibiotic residue and its comprehensive impact on the environment is needed to ensure environmental health.

Bioaccumulation and Mass Balance Analysis of Veterinary Antibiotics in an Agricultural Environment

“…Veterinary antibiotics (VAs) have been used for therapeutic purposes to treat and prevent diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, or for nontherapeutic purposes to promote the growth of livestock [ 1 ]. According to a previous report [ 2 ], global antibiotic use is expected to increase by 67% by 2030, and the increased usage of VAs could have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem [ 3 ]. In general, 10–20% of VAs administered to livestock are metabolized in the animal’s body, and the remaining 80–90% are excreted in urine and manure [ 4 ].…”

Antibiotic use in goats: role of experience and education of Missouri veterinarians

“…Antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been determined to contribute to over 2 million human illnesses and an estimated 23 000 human deaths annually in the USA, 1 and excessive or non-therapeutic use of antibiotic medications is known to promote the selection of these resistant bacteria. [2][3][4] Agricultural practices may play a role in the emergence of these resistant bacteria as nearly 80% of the volume of antibiotics sold in the USA were intended for food animals in 2011 1 5 6 and can be purchased and administered without direct veterinary input on appropriate use, accurate dosing and withdrawal times. 7 The Food and Drug Administration advocates against unsupervised and non-therapeutic use of antibiotics, 7 but these practices have continued in part due to the perception that they are the only costeffective way to maximise profits through enhanced weight gain in food animals.…”

“…Antibiotic‐resistant bacteria has been determined to contribute to over 2 million human illnesses and an estimated 23 000 human deaths annually in the USA, 1 and excessive or non‐therapeutic use of antibiotic medications is known to promote the selection of these resistant bacteria 2–4 . Agricultural practices may play a role in the emergence of these resistant bacteria as nearly 80% of the volume of antibiotics sold in the USA were intended for food animals in 2011 1 5 6 and can be purchased and administered without direct veterinary input on appropriate use, accurate dosing and withdrawal times 7 .…”

Occurrence of Veterinary Antibiotics in the Agro-Environment

“…항생제의 오남용은 항생제 저항 유전자 (Antibiotic resistance genes)를 생성할 수 있으며 특히 농업환경에서는 체 외로 배출된 항생제가 환경 중에 잔류할 수 있는 확률이 높아진다 (Awad et al, 2015;Kim et al, 2019). 가축에게 투 여된 항생제는 가축의 체내에서 10 -20% 정도만이 사용되고 나머지는 체외로 배출되는 특성이 있다 (Hong et al, 2019;Jjemba, 2002).…”