Determination of tetracycline residues in soil by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Determination of tetracycline residues in potatoes and soil by LC-MS/MS: Method development, validation, and risk assessment

A method utilizing liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and validated according to the Commission Implementing Regulation (CIR) EU 2021/808 for quantifying four tetracyclines (TCs) in potatoes and soil. The method demonstrated recovery values ranging from 70 to 121% and precision (repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility), with coefficient of variation (CV) values below 18% for all TCs in both matrices. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for the TCs ranged from 0.90 to 1.87 μg/kg in potatoes and from 0.68 to 1.25 μg/kg in soil. The decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) ranged from 10.4 to 12.3 μg/kg and 11.9 to 14.3 μg/kg, respectively. Analysis of 538 potato and soil samples from Egyptian farms revealed a 13.2% occurrence of TC residues, with a higher frequency in soil (19.33%) than in potatoes (7.06%). Target hazard quotient (THQ) values indicated that TC residues in potatoes do not pose a health risk to Egyptian consumers.

Tetracycline antibiotics in agricultural soil: Dissipation kinetics, transformation pathways, and structure-related toxicity

Tetracyclines (TCs) are the most common antibiotics in agricultural soil, due to their widespread usage and strong persistence. Biotic and abiotic degradation of TCs may generate toxic transformation products (TPs), further threatening soil ecological safety. Despite the increasing attention on the environmental behavior of TCs, a systematic review on the dissipation of TCs, evolution of TPs, and structure-toxicity relationship of TCs in agricultural soil remains lacking. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the environmental fate of TCs in agricultural soil. We first introduced the development history and structural features of different generations of TCs. Then, we comparatively evaluated the dissipation kinetics, transportation pathways, and ecological impacts of three representative TCs, namely tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), and chlortetracycline (CTC), in agricultural soil. The results showed that the dissipation kinetics of TCs generally followed the first-order kinetic model, with the median dissipation half-lives ranging from 20.0 to 38.8 days. Among the three TCs, OTC displayed the lowest dissipation rates due to its structural stability. The typical degradation pathways of TCs in soil included epimerization/isomerization, demethylation, and dehydration. Isomerization and dehydration reactions may lead to the formation of more toxic TPs, while demethylation was accompanied by the alteration of the minimal pharmacophore of TCs thus potentially reducing the toxicity. Toxicological experiments are urgently needed in future to comprehensively evaluate the ecological risks of TCs in agricultural soil.

Accumulation, transportation, and distribution of tetracycline and cadmium in rice

Co-exposure to heavy metal and antibiotic pollution might result in complexation and synergistic interactions, affecting rice growth and further exacerbating pollutant enrichment. Therefore, our study sought to clarify the influence of different Tetracycline (TC) and Cadmium(Cd) concentration ratios (both alone and combined) on rice growth, pollutant accumulation, and transportation during the tillering stage in hydroponic system. Surprisingly, our findings indicated that the interaction between TC and Cd could alleviate the toxic effects of TC/Cd on aerial rice structures and decrease pollutant burdens during root elongation. In contrast, TC and Cd synergistically promoted the accumulation of TC/Cd in rice roots. However, their interaction increased the accumulation of TC in roots while decreasing the accumulation of Cd when the toxicant doses increased. The strong affinity of rice to Cd promoted its upward transport from the roots, whereas the toxic effects of TC reduced TC transport. Therefore, the combined toxicity of the two pollutants inhibited their upward transport. Additionally, a low concentration of TC promoted the accumulation of Cd in rice mainly in the root tip. Furthermore, a certain dose of TC promoted the upward migration of Cd from the root tip. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry demonstrated that Cd mainly accumulated in the epidermis and stele of the root, whereas Fe mainly accumulated in the epidermis, which inhibited the absorption and accumulation of Cd by the rice roots through the generation of a Fe plaque. Our findings thus provide insights into the effects of TC and Cd co-exposure on rice growth.

The Role of Grass Compost and Zea Mays in Alleviating Toxic Effects of Tetracycline on the Soil Bacteria Community

Given their common use for disease treatment in humans, and particularly in animals, antibiotics pose an exceptionally serious threat to the soil environment. This study aimed to determine the response of soil bacteria and oxidoreductases to a tetracycline (Tc) contamination, and to establish the usability of grass compost (G) and Zea mays (Zm) in mitigating adverse Tc effects on selected microbial properties of the soil. The scope of microbiological analyses included determinations of bacteria with the conventional culture method and new-generation sequencing method (NGS). Activities of soil dehydrogenases and catalase were determined as well. Tc was found to reduce counts of organotrophic bacteria and actinobacteria in the soils as well as the activity of soil oxidoreductases. Soil fertilization with grass compost (G) and Zea mays (Zm) cultivation was found to alleviate the adverse effects of tetracycline on the mentioned group of bacteria and activity of oxidoreductases. The metagenomic analysis demonstrated that the bacteria belonging to Acidiobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla were found to prevail in the soil samples. The study results recommend soil fertilization with G and Zm cultivation as successful measures in the bioremediation of tetracycline-contaminated soils and indicate the usability of the so-called core bacteria in the bioaugmentation of such soils.

Suspected-screening assessment of the occurrence of organic compounds in sewage sludge

The profiling of emerging organic pollutants present in sludge and generated during wastewater treatment is much more limited than in water. This is mainly due to the difficulty of sludge analysis because of its high content of organic matter and interfering compounds. In this study, a generic extraction method using a mixture of buffered water (pH 4.1) and solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up was applied to samples of sludge obtained in different treatment plants. This extraction was followed by determination of the contaminants by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS), using suspected screening to detect the most relevant organic compounds that access the environment through sludge application. This screening (including >3000 substances, such as, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, metabolites and industrial chemicals) tentatively identified 122 compound and assigned most probable structure to 39. The set of compounds assigned to a probable structure was increased in 14 compounds by searching in a free database of metabolites. Fifteen compounds were unequivocally confirmed against the analytical standard. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), with 31 substances identified and 8 confirmed were the main group of compounds. Compounds frequently detected in all sludge samples include nucleotides such as adenosine triphosphate, amino acids such as phenylalanine, or peptides such as leu-phe. Altogether, the results of this work highlight the interest of HRMS to draw the profile of organic compounds in complex matrices.

Determination of chloramphenicol and tetracycline residues in milk samples by means of nanofiber coated magnetic particles prior to high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

A magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) methodology was developed for the determination of chloramphenicol (CP) and tetracycline (TET) antibiotic residues in milk samples. As a solid phase sorbent, C-nanofiber coated magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and extensively characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis. Experimental variables of MSPE method for both antibiotic analytes were investigated and optimized systematically. After MSPE, the linear range for both the analytes (r² > 0.9954) were obtained in a range 10.0-600.0 ng mL^-1. The limit of detections (LODs) for CP and TET were 3.02 and 3.52 ng mL^-1, respectively while RSDs % were below than 4.0%. Finally, the developed method based on MPSE-HPLC-DAD was applied to real milk samples to quantify the antibiotic residues. Recovery values for each antibiotic compound were found in the range of 94.6-105.4% (n = 3) by using spiked model solution.

Tetracyclines in the environment: An overview on the occurrence, fate, toxicity, detection, removal methods, and sludge management

Tetracyclines (TCs) are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics having vast human, veterinary, and aquaculture applications. The continuous release of TCs residues into the environment and the inadequate removal through the conventional treatment systems result in its prevalent occurrence in soil, surface water, groundwater, and even in drinking water. As aqueous TCs contamination is the tip of the iceberg, and TCs possess good sorption capacity towards soil, sediments, sludge, and manure, it is insufficient to rely on the sorptive removal in the conventional water treatment plants. The severity of the TCs contamination is evident from the emergence of TCs resistance in a wide variety of microorganisms. This paper reviews the recent research on the TCs occurrence in the environmental matrices, fate in natural systems, toxic effects, and the removal methods. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination of TCs in environmental samples and the associated technology developments are analyzed. The benefits and limitations of biochemical and physicochemical removal processes are also discussed. This work draws attention to the inevitability of proper TC sludge management. This paper also gives insight into the limitations of TCs related research and the future scope of research in environmental contamination by TCs residues.

Novel enzyme-based electrochemical and colorimetric biosensors for tetracycline monitoring in milk

Recently, there has been a growing demand to develop portable devices for the fast detection of contaminants in food safety, healthcare, and environmental fields. Herein, two biosensing methods were designed by the use of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H)-dependent TetX2 enzyme activity and thionine as an excellent electrochemical and colorimetric mediator/probe to monitor tetracycline (TC) in milk. The nanoporous glassy carbon electrode (NPGCE) modified with polythionine was first prepared by electrochemically and then TetX2 was immobilized onto the NPGCE using polyethyleneimine. The prepared biosensor provided a high electrocatalytic response toward NAD(P)H by significantly reducing its overpotential. The proposed biosensor exhibited a detection limit of 40 nM with a linear range of 0.1-0.8 μM for TC determination. Besides, the thionine probe was used to develop a novel colorimetric assay using a simple enzymatic color reaction within a few minutes. The limit of detection for TC was experimentally achieved as 60 nM, which was lower than the safety levels established by the World Health Organization (225 nM). The correlation between change in the color of the solution and the concentration of TC was used for quality control of milk samples, as confirmed by the standard high-performance liquid chromatography method. The results show the great potential of the proposed assays as portable instruments for on-site TC measurements.

Tetracycline and Sulfonamide Antibiotics in Soils: Presence, Fate and Environmental Risks

Veterinary antibiotics are widely used worldwide to treat and prevent infectious diseases, as well as (in countries where allowed) to promote growth and improve feeding efficiency of food-producing animals in livestock activities. Among the different antibiotic classes, tetracyclines and sulfonamides are two of the most used for veterinary proposals. Due to the fact that these compounds are poorly absorbed in the gut of animals, a significant proportion (up to ~90%) of them are excreted unchanged, thus reaching the environment mainly through the application of manures and slurries as fertilizers in agricultural fields. Once in the soil, antibiotics are subjected to a series of physicochemical and biological processes, which depend both on the antibiotic nature and soil characteristics. Adsorption/desorption to soil particles and degradation are the main processes that will affect the persistence, bioavailability, and environmental fate of these pollutants, thus determining their potential impacts and risks on human and ecological health. Taking all this into account, a literature review was conducted in order to shed light on the current knowledge about the occurrence of tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics in manures/slurries and agricultural soils, as well as on their fate in the environment. For that, the adsorption/desorption and the degradation (both abiotic and biotic) processes of these pollutants in soils were deeply discussed. Finally, the potential risks of deleterious effects on human and ecological health associated with the presence of these antibiotic residues were assessed. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics in the environment, thus facilitating decision-making for the application of preventive and mitigation measures to reduce its negative impacts and risks to public health.

Effect of Oxytetracycline and Chlortetracycline on Bacterial Community Growth in Agricultural Soils

Toxicity on soil bacterial community growth caused by the antibiotics oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) was studied in 22 agricultural soils after 1, 8 and 42 incubation days. The leucine incorporation method was used with this aim, estimating the concentration of each antibiotic which caused an inhibition of 50% in bacterial community growth (log IC50). For OTC, the mean log IC50 was 2.70, 2.81, 2.84 for each of the three incubation times, while the values were 2.05, 2.22 and 2.47 for CTC, meaning that the magnitude of OTC toxicity was similar over time, whereas it decreased significantly for CTC with incubation time. In addition, results showed that the toxicity on bacterial community growth due to CTC is significantly higher than when due to OTC. Moreover, the toxicity on bacterial community growth due to both antibiotics is dependent on soil properties. Specifically, an increase in soil pH and silt content resulted in higher toxicity of both antibiotics, while increases in total organic carbon and clay contents caused decreases in OTC and CTC toxicities. The results also show that OTC toxicity can be well predicted by means of specific equations, using the values of pH measured in KCl and those of effective cation exchange capacity as input variables. CTC toxicity may be predicted (but with low precision) using pH measured in KCl and total organic carbon. These equations may help to predict the negative effects caused by OTC and CTC on soil bacteria using easily measurable soil parameters.

Effects of methylphenidate on the aggressive behavior, serotonin and dopamine levels, and dopamine-related gene transcription in brain of male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment has increased considerably in the last decades, causing negative biochemical, physiological, and behavioral effects in aquatic organisms. In this study, we evaluated the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on the aggressive behavior, dopamine-related gene transcript levels, monoamine levels, and carboxylesterase transcript levels and activity in the brain of male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Carboxylesterase activity was also measured in the liver and gills. Fish were exposed for 5 days to MPH at 20 and 100 ng L^-1. Fish exposed to 100 ng L^-1 of MPH showed increased aggressiveness and decreased dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) levels. No changes were observed in plasma testosterone levels and in the transcript levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, dopamine transporter (DAT), and carboxylesterase 2 (CES2). Exposure to 100 ng L^-1 of MPH caused a decrease in the transcript levels of carboxylesterase 3 (CES3) and an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), while exposure to 20 ng L^-1 of MPH increased the transcript levels of D5 dopamine receptor. Carboxylesterase activity was unchanged in the brain and liver and increased in the gills of fish exposed to 20 ng L^-1. These results indicate that MPH at 100 ng L^-1 increases aggressiveness in Nile tilapia, possibly due to a decrease in 5-HT levels in the brain and alterations in dopamine levels and dopamine-related genes.

Species-specific response of the soil collembolan gut microbiome and resistome to soil oxytetracycline pollution

Soil antibiotic pollution has caused wide public concern, and the effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota of soil non-target organisms are poorly understood. Here, we simulate natural exposure scenarios by exposing three species of soil collembolans (Sinella curviseta, Onychiurus yodai, Folsomia candida) to environmentally relevant concentrations of oxytetracycline (OTC) in the soil to explore the response of their gut and surrounding soil microbiota to OTC, including changes in the bacterial community composition and diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The different collembolan species harbored different gut microbiotas from the surrounding soil. OTC exposure significantly altered the gut microbiota of O. yodai but did not obviously affect that of S. curviseta or F. candida. (o) Entomoplasmatales and Acinetobacter were two main taxa found in O. yodai; the level of the former was significantly increased but that of the latter was reduced with OTC exposure. Moreover, OTC exposure affected the diversity and abundance of ARGs in the gut microbiota of the three collembolan species, with significantly enhanced ARG number and abundance in S. curviseta, especially for genes associated with tetracycline resistance. Our findings indicate that the effects of OTC on soil collembolans are species specific. This study contributes to our understanding of the effects of environmental pollutants on the gut microbiome and resistome of soil animals.

Screening and quantitation of residual antibiotics in two different swine wastewater treatment systems during warm and cold seasons

Due to many occurrences of the illegal addition, misuse and abuse of antibiotics in the swine industry in China, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was used to screen and identify these materials in two swine wastewater treatment systems (Swine farm 1: anaerobic digestion - lagoon treatment; Swine farm 2: anaerobic digestion - anoxic treatment - aerobic biological treatment). The results showed that 11 out of 115 antibiotics, including tetracyclines (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline), sulfonamides (sulfadimidine (SDMD)), macrolides (clarithromycin, tilmicosin (TILM)), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin), β‑lactam (penicillin G), and lincosamides (lincomycin), were identified in the swine farms by screening and confirmation methods through HRMS. The quantification method was carried out using triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry, and the recoveries of 11 analytes in the swine wastewater were above 50%. The investigation results showed that the amount of antibiotic residues during the cold season was much higher than that during the warm season. Among the antibiotics, tetracyclines (average of 58%) were the main antibiotic residues in the two swine farms, with TILM second (33%). Sulfonamides (SDMD) existed only in SF1 and accounted for 10% of the total antibiotic concentration. The average proportion of total antibiotics in the solid and liquid phases were 98.5% and 1.5%, respectively, indicating that antibiotics were mainly adsorbed onto solids, though only SDMD remained relatively high in the liquid phase (5.29%). The degradation data of most of the antibiotics detected in the liquid phase during the wastewater treatments well fitted the simple first-order kinetic model in both SF1 and SF2, and the half-lives of the analytes in SF2 were much shorter than those in SF1. After the wastewater treatment process, approximately 80% of the antibiotics could be removed, but sulfonamides remained at a relatively higher percentage and were the main antibiotics in the effluent (approximately 60%).

A novel electrochemical biosensor based on TetX2 monooxygenase immobilized on a nano-porous glassy carbon electrode for tetracycline residue detection

Different carbon-based nanostructures were used to investigate direct electron transfer (DET) of TetX2 monooxygenase (TetX2), and an enzyme-based biosensor for sensitive determination of tetracycline (TC) also fabricated. A polyethyleneimine (PEI) with positive charge groups was used for immobilization of TetX2 on modified glassy carbon electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to study the electrochemical characteristics of the immobilized enzyme and the performance of the proposed biosensor. Amongst multiple carbon-modified electrodes, nano-porous glassy carbon electrode (NPGCE) was selected because of its amplified signal response for flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and superior electrocatalytic behavior toward oxygen reduction. The cyclic voltammogram of PEI/TetX2/NPGCE showed two couple of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks of FAD, consistent with the realization of DET. The prepared electrode was then successfully introduced as a biosensing interface based on the oxygen reduction peak current, resulting in a linear range response from 0.5 to 5 μM with a good detection limit of 18 nM. The as-fabricated electrode demonstrates a fast response and excellent stability for the detection of TC. The results indicate that this simple, rapid, eco-friendly and economic strategy of PEI/TetX2/NPGCE preparation has potential for the fabrication of an enzyme-based biosensor for the practical detection of TC in food products.

Removal of sulfadiazine and tetracycline in membrane bioreactors: linking pathway to microbial community shift

In this study, the removal pathway of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and tetracycline (TC) and their roles in shaping microbial community were separately explored in two lab-scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) operating in parallel with one control MBR. Results show that the MBR system eliminated more than 90% of TC in the feed, whereas removal efficiency of SDZ decreased from 100% to 40% with increasing SDZ concentrations (1-1000 μg/L). Based on batch tests, biodegradation and adsorption was the main removal route for SDZ and TC, following pseudo-first-order kinetic and pseudo-second-order kinetic model with a rate constant of 1.21 L/(g MLSS·d) and 1.91 h^-1, respectively, in the acclimated sludge. As expected, the acclimated sludge possessed a higher removal potential for the antibiotics compared with unacclimated sludge. Notably, high-throughput sequencing revealed that the most abundant phylum Proteobacteria was resistant to TC (1-1000 μg/L), but was suppressed by SDZ (100-1000 μg/L). Members of the phylum TM7 were likely responsible for SDZ degradation. Overall, TC exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on bacterial species and significantly reduced the biodiversity compared with SDZ, which could be strongly related to the persistent toxicity of TC to microbes resulting from its high adsorption potential on activated sludge.

Pressurized liquid extraction of six tetracyclines from agricultural soils

Veterinary antibiotics used in agriculture can be introduced into the environment through land application of animal manure, accumulating in soils and groundwaters and posing a significant risk to human health and animal well-being. As the analysis of tetracyclines in soil is challenging due to their strong interaction with soil minerals and organic carbon, the objective of this study was to develop a reliable and reproducible method for quantitative analysis of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline, and their respective metabolites in soils. A method based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with in-cell clean-up was developed for the extraction of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline and four likely metabolites from a set of four soils. Optimized conditions included a cell size of 22 mL, soil loading of 5 g, pH of 8.0, methanol:water ratio of 3:1, 50 °C, and two cycles. Soil extracts were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS). Recoveries of seven tetracyclines from soil ranged from 41% to 110%. The limits of detection for tetracyclines were 0.08-0.3 µg g^-1 soil, and intra- and inter-day variation ranged from 0.12-0.34%. The proposed PLE method is suitable for quantification of tetracyclines in agricultural soils at typical concentrations expected in contaminated environments.

High diversity and abundance of cultivable tetracycline-resistant bacteria in soil following pig manure application

By performing a microcosm experiment mimicking fertilization, we assessed the dynamic distribution of tetracycline-resistant bacteria (TRB) and corresponding tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs) from pig manure (PM) to the fertilized soil, by culture-dependent methods and PCR detection. Cultivable TRB were most abundant in PM, followed by fertilized soil and unfertilized soil. By restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, TRB were assigned to 29, 20, and 153 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in PM, unfertilized soil, and fertilized soil, respectively. After identification, they were further grouped into 19, 12, and 62 species, showing an enhanced diversity of cultivable TRB in the soil following PM application. The proportions of potentially pathogenic TRB in fertilized soil decreased by 69.35% and 41.92% compared with PM and unfertilized soil. Bacillus cereus was likely widely distributed TRB under various environments, and Rhodococcus erythropolis and Acinetobacter sp. probably spread from PM to the soil via fertilization. Meanwhile, tetL was the most common efflux pump gene in both unfertilized and fertilized soils relative to PM; tetB(P) and tet36 were common in PM, whereas tetO was predominant in unfertilized and fertilized soil samples. Sequencing indicated that over 65% of randomly selected TRB in fertilized soil with acquired resistance derived from PM.

Short-term thermophilic treatment cannot remove tetracycline resistance genes in pig manures but exhibits controlling effects on their accumulation and spread in soil

In this work, a microcosm experiment was conducted to merely mimic thermophilic phase in aerobic composting with pig manures in order to explore: (i) the effect of thermophilic phase in composting on the abundances of tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs); and (ii) the impacts of the treated manures on the abundances of TRGs in soil. It was found that 4days of thermophilic process reduced the abundance of TRGs in pig manures by ∼1 lg unit compared to the samples without treatments, suggesting that other phases in composting may play significant roles in removal of TRGs. Once pig manures with thermophilic treatment were applied to soil, TRGs abundances decreased to the levels in unfertilized soil. With correlation analyses, it was concluded that pig manure derived tetracycline-resistant bacteria (TRB) and nutrients exerted different effects on TRGs abundances in soil. In conclusion, short-term thermophilic treatment cannot remove tetracycline resistance genes in pig manures but exhibits controlling effects on their accumulation and spread in soil. Nutrients enrichment in soil following manuring of treated pig manures, together with a large proportion of gram-positive TRB left in treated pig manures with less risk to TRGs spread, contributed to the controlling effects.

Assessment of soils contamination with veterinary antibiotic residues in Northern Poland using developed MAE-SPE-LC/MS/MS methods

Among the wide range of compounds reaching the soil are the veterinary antimicrobials. Since no regulations regarding acceptable levels of drug concentrations in the environment exist, monitoring tests, particularly concerning soils, are carried out very rarely. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the contamination of agricultural soils in Northern Poland with seven antimicrobial veterinary medicines which has never been carried out before. Veterinary drugs were detected in 54% of the examined soil samples; the most commonly detected drugs were sulfonamides and trimethoprim. The highest indicated concentrations refer to enrofloxacin (57.0 μg kg^-1) and trimethoprim (47.8 μg kg^-1). The presence of these target drugs in the soil environment confirms the need for further monitoring studies. The analytical methods developed in this study are an excellent tool to achieve this goal and allow an estimation of the risk connected with the presence of veterinary antimicrobials in soils.

Impact of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals on the Agricultural Environment: A Re-inspection

The use of veterinary pharmaceuticals (VPs) is a result of growing animal production. Manure, a great crop fertilizer, contains a significant amount of VPs. The investigation of VPs in manure is prevalent, because of the potential risk for environmental organisms, as well as human health. A re-evaluation of the impact of veterinary pharmaceuticals on the agricultural environment is needed, even though several publications appear every year. The aim of this review was to collate the data from fields investigated for the presence of VPs as an inevitable component of manure. Data on VP concentrations in manure, soils, groundwater and plants were collected from the literature. All of this was connected with biotic and abiotic degradation, leaching and plant uptake. The data showed that the sorption of VPs into soil particles is a process which decreases the negative impact of VPs on the microbial community, the pollution of groundwater, and plant uptake. What was evident was that most of the data came from experiments conducted under conditions different from those in the environment, resulting in an overestimation of data (especially in the case of leaching). The general conclusion is that the application of manure on crop fields leads to a negligible risk for plants, bacteria, and finally humans, but in future every group of compounds needs to be investigated separately, because of the high divergence of properties.

Impacts of supplementing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers manufactured using pig manure as a substrate on the spread of tetracycline resistance genes in soil

Using pig manure (PM) compost as a partial substitute for the conventional chemical fertilizers (CFs) is considered an effective approach in sustainable agricultural systems. This study aimed to analyze the impacts of supplementing CF with organic fertilizers (OFs) manufactured using pig manure as a substrate on the spread of tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs) as well as the community structures and diversities of tetracycline-resistant bacteria (TRB) in bulk and cucumber rhizosphere soils. In this study, three organic fertilizers manufactured using the PM as a substrate, namely fresh PM, common OF, and bio-organic fertilizer (BF), were supplemented with a CF. Composted manures combined with a CF did not significantly increase TRB compared with the CF alone, but PM treatment resulted in the long-term survival of TRB in soil. The use of CF+PM also increased the risk of spreading TRGs in soil. As beneficial microorganisms in BF may function as reservoirs for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, care should be taken when adding them to the OF matrix. The PM treatment significantly altered the community structures and increased the species diversity of TRB, especially in the rhizosphere soil. BF treatment caused insignificant changes in the community structure of TRB compared with CF treatment, yet it reduced the species diversities of TRB in soil. Thus, the partial use of fresh PM as a substitute for CF could increase the risk of spread of TRGs. Apart from plant growth promotion, BF was a promising fertilizer owing to its potential ability to control TRGs.

Inhibition of the partial nitritation by roxithromycin and Cu(II)

To facilitate the application of partial nitritation (PN) - anaerobic ammonium oxidation process in nitrogen removal from livestock wastewater, the inhibition of roxithromycin (ROX) and Cu(II) on the PN sludge was examined using a respirometric method. The results showed that the IC50 of ROX and Cu(II) on PN sludge were 346 and 74.3mgL(-1), respectively. The relative specific respiration rate (SRR) of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) decreased from 87.4% to 17.7% with the ROX concentration increased from 0 to 500mgL(-1). When the concentration of Cu(II) increased from 0 to 160mgL(-1), the SRRs of AOB and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria decreased by 85.5% and 11.2%, respectively. According to the isobole plots analysis, combined suppression by ROX and Cu(II) was synergistic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses showed that ROX exposure altered the positions of CO bonds, and the intensity of the absorption peak at 2100cm(-1) changed under Cu(II) exposure.

Dissipation kinetics of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and chlortetracycline residues in soil

The dissipation of different residual states of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) including oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), and chlortetracycline (CTC) laboratory microcosm systems was investigated in this study. The residues were fractionated by stepwise extractions into aqueous state (KCl solution extracts), organic state (MeOH extracts), residual state I (citric acid-sodium citrate buffer and ethyl acetate extracts) and residual state II (acetonitrile-EDTA-McIlvaine buffer extracts) for accurate evaluation of TCs pollution. The antibiotics in the aqueous state were hardly detected, whereas the antibiotics in the organic state dissipated relatively fast (not detectable within 15 days after application) and followed simple first-order kinetics (SFOK) (R (2) from 0.929 to 0.990). While first-order double-exponential decay model (FODED) (R (2) from 0.840 to 0.999) and availability-adjusted first-order model (AAFO) (R (2) from 0.939 to 0.999) had a better fit on the dissipation of both residue state I and II than SFOK. TCs in these states were likely sequestered into a dormant undegradable phase since no degradation product was detected during the entire experiment. In addition, the overall 50 % dissipation values (i.e., stability) of the three TCs were OTC > TC > CTC. The TCs tend to dissipate faster in the high water content and organic matter soil.

Autoclave treatment of pig manure does not reduce the risk of transmission and transfer of tetracycline resistance genes in soil: successive determinations with soil column experiments

The increasing use of antibiotics, especially tetracycline, in livestock feed adversely affects animal health and ecological integrity. Therefore, approaches to decrease this risk are urgently needed. High temperatures facilitate antibiotic degradation; whether this reduces transmission risk and transfer of tetracycline-resistant bacteria (TRBs) and tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs) in soil remains unknown. Successive experiments with soil columns evaluated the effects of autoclaving pig manure (APM) on soil TRB populations and TRGs over time at different soil depths. The data showed sharp increases in TRB populations and TRGs in each subsoil layer of PM (non-APM) and APM treatments within 30 days, indicating that TRBs and TRGs transferred rapidly. The level of TRBs in the upper soil layers was approximately 15-fold higher than in subsoils. TRBs were not dependent on PM and APM levels, especially in the late phase. Nevertheless, higher levels of APM led to rapid expansion of TRBs as compared to PM. Moreover, temporal changes in TRB frequencies in total culturable bacteria (TCBs) were similar to TRBs, indicating that the impact of PM or APM on TRBs was more obvious than for TCBs. TRBs were hypothesized to depend on the numbers of TRGs and indigenous recipient bacteria. In the plough layer, five TRGs (tetB, tetG, tetM, tetW, and tetB/P) existed in each treatment within 150 days. Selective pressure of TC may not be a necessary condition for the transfer and persistence of TRGs in soil. High temperatures might reduce TRBs in PM, which had minimal impact on the transmission and transfer of TRGs in soil. Identifying alternatives to decrease TRG transmission remains a major challenge.

Presence of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in the waters of a Mediterranean coastal wetland: Potential interactions and the influence of the environment

The occurrence of 17 relevant pharmaceuticals and 7 heavy metals in the waters of the Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park (Valencia Community, Spain) were monitored. Thirty four zones (including the lagoon and the most important irrigation channels), covering the main land uses and water sources, were selected for sampling. Thirty three of them were contaminated with at least one pharmaceutical. Ibuprofen and codeine were the pharmaceuticals more frequently detected, in concentrations between 4.8 and 1.2 ng/L and a maximum of 59 ng/L and 63 ng/L, respectively. Regarding metals, Zn showed values under the detection limit in all the samples, while Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb were detected at concentrations lower than the WHO and EU maximum levels for drinking waters. Ni showed significant direct correlations with diazepam, norfloxacin, ofloxacin and fenofibrate, and inverse relationships with ibuprofen, at 99 and 95% of significance. Cu, Co and Cr also showed significant correlations with some of the pharmaceuticals. These interactions could favor the synergistic/antagonistic interactions among pharmaceuticals and metals in the marsh, which can affect its aquatic fauna and flora or even human health. The influences of the water sources, land uses and spatial distribution of both types of contaminants were also studied.

Determination of multi-class antimicrobial residues in soil by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Antimicrobial residues in environmental matrices may result in the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in soil.

Quantitative modelling to estimate the transfer of pharmaceuticals through the food production system

Use of pharmaceuticals in animal production may cause an indirect route of contamination of food products of animal origin. This study aimed to assess, through mathematical modelling, the transfer of pharmaceuticals from contaminated soil, through plant uptake, into the dairy food production chain. The scenarios, model parameters, and values refer to contaminants in emission slurry production, storage time, immission into soil, plant uptake, bioaccumulation in the animal's body, and transfer to meat and milk. Modelling results confirm the possibility of contamination of dairy cow's meat and milk due the ingestion of contaminated feed by the cattle. The estimated concentration of pharmaceutical residues obtained for meat ranged from 0 to 6 ng kg(-1) for oxytetracycline, from 0.011 to 0.181 μg kg(-1) for sulfamethoxazole, and from 4.70 to 11.86 μg kg(-1) for ketoconazole. The estimated concentrations for milk were: zero for oxytetracycline, lower than 40 ng L(-1) for sulfamethoxazole, and from 0.98 to 2.48 μg L(-1) for ketoconazole. Results obtained for the three selected pharmaceuticals indicate a minor risk for human health. This study showed that supply chain modelling could be an effective tool in assessing the indirect contamination of feedstuff and animal products by residues of pharmaceuticals. The model can easily be adjusted to other contaminants and supply chain and, in this way, present a valuable tool to underpin decision making.

Simultaneous determination of doxycycline and chlortetracycline in real samples by europium-sensitized luminescence

A simple luminescent methodology for the simultaneous determination of doxycycline and chlortetracycline in pharmaceutical preparations and human urine is proposed. Since the native fluorescence of both analytes is negligible, this method takes advantage of the lanthanide-sensitized luminescence, which provides increased sensitivity. Due to the strong overlapping between the luminescence spectra of both europium complexes, the use of luminescence decay curves to resolve mixtures of the analytes is proposed, particularly as these curves are more selective. A factorial design, with three levels per factor, coupled to a central composite design was selected to obtain a calibration matrix of 13 standards plus one blank sample, which were processed with a partial least-squares analysis. In order to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method, a prediction set of 10 synthetic samples was analyzed, and recovery percentages between 95 and 104% were obtained. Limits of detection, calculated by means of a new criterion, were 3.27 and 1.06 μg L(-1) for doxycycline and chlortetracycline, respectively. The method was tested in three different pharmaceutical preparations containing the analytes, with average recovery percentages of 99.4 ± 1.8 for doxycycline and 100.5 ± 2.1 for chlortetracycline. Moreover, a central composite design was also developed to obtain a calibration matrix that made feasible the simultaneous determination of both tetracyclines in human urine samples. In this case, average recovery percentages were 98.0 ± 4.4 and 97.8 ± 4.6 for doxycycline and chlortetracycline, respectively. No extraction method or prior separation of the analytes was needed.

A Colorimetric Aptamer Biosensor Based on Gold Nanoparticles for the Ultrasensitive and Specific Detection of Tetracycline in Milk

This paper proposes a sensing strategy which employs an aptamer, unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNP), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to detect tetracycline (TET) in raw milk. The method is based on the colorimetric assay of aggregating AuNP. In the absence of TET, the CTAB and aptamer form a complex which allows the aggregation of AuNP. In the presence of TET, the TET aptamer is exhausted first due to the formation of aptamer-TET complexes, which prevents assembly of the CTAB–aptamer supramolecule, causing a colour change and no aggregation of AuNP. This mechanism for the detection of TET proved to be sensitive and convenient. The colorimetric assay has a detection limit of 122 nM TET. This sensor has great potential for the sensitive, colorimetric detection of a wide range of molecular analytes.

[Determination of antibiotics in oral hygiene products by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry]

A high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/ MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 13 antibiotics in oral hygiene products, including five tetracyclines, three macrolides, two quinolones, one beta-lactam and two lincosamides. The sample was extracted with 0.1% (volume percentage, same hereinafter) formic acid-acetonitrile (95:5, v/v), then centrifuged, filtered and diluted. The target compounds were separated on a C18 column (150 mm x 2.1 mm, 5 microm) with a gradient elution of 0. 1% formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phases, and detected by tandem mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The quantification of 13 antibiotics was performed by the external standard method. The calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 5.0-50.0 microg/L with detection limits of 10.0 mg/kg. The recoveries of antibiotics in mouthwash and toothpaste samples at the three spiked levels of 10, 20 and 100 mg/kg were in the range of 80.1%-115% with the relative standard deviations in the range of 0.94%-8.69%. This method is accurate, reliable, simple, and suitable for the analysis of antibiotics in oral hygiene products.

Uptake of oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole and ketoconazole from fertilised soils by plants

This study was performed to investigate the potential for a set of two antibiotics and one antifungal compound to be taken up from the soil by plants. Plants are used for animal or human consumption, and so the measured concentrations in the plant material will be used to model potential human exposure to these compounds. The uptake by two types of plants (grass and watercress) from two types of soil was studied. The compounds used for these experiments were sulfamethoxazole, oxytetracycline and ketoconazole at concentrations of 5 and 10 mg kg(-1) in the soil. The compounds of interest were extracted out of the plant matrix by applying accelerated solvent extraction. Analyses were carried out by a LC-MS/MS. From the results, it was concluded that the plant materials used for this study were able to take up sulfamethoxazole and ketoconazole when the soil was contaminated with these compounds at a concentration ranging from 5 to 10 mg kg(-1). Sulfamethoxazole was detected in all samples, at levels ranging from 7 to 21 µ kg(-1) for grass and 4 to 7.5 µ kg(-1) for watercress. For ketoconazole, the results showed low absorption. Oxytetracycline was not detected in any sample. A partition-limited model approach was applied for the comparison of experimental and estimated data, and the relationship between physicochemical properties of the compounds and plant uptake was highlighted.

Characteristics of oxytetracycline sorption and potential bioavailability in soils with various physical-chemical properties

Veterinary antibiotics are widely used for disease treatment, prevention and animal growth promoting. Frequent detection of veterinary antibiotics in environments, caused by land application of untreated or even treated antibiotics-containing animal wastes, has posed the growing concern of their adverse effect on natural ecosystems. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is one of the most widely-used veterinary antibiotics in livestock industry. OTC present as a cation, zwitterions, or net negatively charged ion in soils complicates predicting its sorption characteristics and potential bioavailability and toxicity. This study was to identify soil properties influencing OTC sorption and its subsequent bioavailability in five soils with various physical-chemical properties. A solution used to determine bioavailable analytes in soils and sediments, 1 M MgCl(2) (pH 8.5), was chosen to desorb the potentially bioavailable fraction of OTC sorbed onto soils. Our results demonstrated that soils with higher illite content and permanent cation exchange capacity have higher OTC sorption capacity, but increase the availability of sorbed OTC indicated by higher release of sorbed OTC from soils into aqueous phase in 1 M MgCl(2) (pH 8.5). Reversely, soil organic matter (SOM), clay, kaolinite, variable cation exchange capacity, DCB-Fe and -Al have lower OTC sorption capacity, but decrease the release of sorbed OTC from soils into 1 M MgCl(2). These findings indicate that SOM and clay greatly influence OTC adsorption and potential availability. This study contributes significantly to our understanding of the potential bioavailability of sorbed OTC and the effects of soil properties on OTC sorption behaviors in soils.

Fate of tetracyclines in swine manure of three selected swine farms in China

Veterinary antibiotics can enter the environment due to the common practice of land application of manure from treated animals. The environmental fate of tetracyclines in swine manure after composting and field application remains largely unknown. This study analyzed the concentrations of tetracyclines in manure, manure-based compost and compost amended soil in selected swine farms from Beijing, Jiaxing and Putian, China to determine the dilution effects of antibiotics when released into the soil environment. The results demonstrate that residues of antibiotics were detected in all samples and chlortetracycline as well as its degradation products should be regarded critically concerning their potential ecotoxicity. Application of manure-based compost to soil could reduce the possible risk posed by antibiotic contamination, but the trigger value of 100 microg/kg was still exceeded in soil samples (776.1 microg/kg dw) from Putian City after application of compost. Field studies such as the present one can help to improve the routine administration of antibiotic-containing composted manure.

β-lactams and florfenicol antibiotics remain bioactive in soils while ciprofloxacin, neomycin, and tetracycline are neutralized

It is generally assumed that antibiotic residues in soils select for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This assumption was tested by separately adding 10 different antibiotics (≥200 ppm) to three soil-water slurries (silt-loam, sand-loam, and sand; 20% soil [wt/vol]) and incubating mixtures for 24 h at room temperature. The antibiotic activity of the resultant supernatant was assessed by culturing a sensitive Escherichia coli strain in the filter-sterilized supernatant augmented with Luria-Bertani broth. We found striking differences in the abilities of supernatants to suppress growth of the indicator E. coli. Ampicillin, cephalothin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, and florfenicol supernatants completely inhibited growth while bacterial growth was uninhibited in the presence of neomycin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin supernatants. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis demonstrated that cefoxitin and florfenicol were almost completely retained in the supernatants, whereas tetracycline and ciprofloxacin were mostly removed. Antibiotic dissipation in soil, presumably dominated by adsorption mechanisms, was sufficient to neutralize 200 ppm of tetracycline; this concentration is considerably higher than reported contamination levels. Soil pellets from the tetracycline slurries were resuspended in a minimal volume of medium to maximize the interaction between bacteria and soil particles, but sensitive bacteria were still unaffected by tetracycline (P = 0.6). Thus, residual antibiotics in soil do not necessarily exert a selective pressure, and the degree to which the pharmaceutical remains bioactive depends on the antibiotic. Efforts to control antibiotic contamination would be better directed toward compounds that retain biological activity in soils (e.g., cephalosporins and florfenicol) because these are the antibiotics that could exert a selective pressure in the environment.

Removal of antibiotics from urban wastewater by constructed wetland optimization

Seven mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands (CWs), differing in their design characteristics, were set up in the open air to assess their efficiency to remove antibiotics from urban raw wastewater. A conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was simultaneously monitored. The experiment took place in autumn. An analytical methodology including HPLC-MS/MS was developed to measure antibiotic concentrations in the soluble water fraction, in the suspended solids fraction and in the WWTP sludge. Considering the soluble water fraction, the only easily eliminated antibiotics in the WWTP were doxycycline (61±38%) and sulfamethoxazole (60±26%). All the studied types of CWs were efficient for the removal of sulfamethoxazole (59±30-87±41%), as found in the WWTP, and, in addition, they removed trimethoprim (65±21-96±29%). The elimination of other antibiotics in CWs was limited by the specific system-configuration: amoxicillin (45±15%) was only eliminated by a free-water (FW) subsurface flow (SSF) CW planted with Typha angustifolia; doxycycline was removed in FW systems planted with T. angustifolia (65±34-75±40%), in a Phragmites australis-floating macrophytes system (62±31%) and in conventional horizontal SSF-systems (71±39%); clarithromycin was partially eliminated by an unplanted FW-SSF system (50±18%); erythromycin could only be removed by a P. australis-horizontal SSF system (64±30%); and ampicillin was eliminated by a T. angustifolia-floating macrophytes system (29±4%). Lincomycin was not removed by any of the systems (WWTP or CWs). The presence or absence of plants, the vegetal species (T. angustifolia or P. australis), the flow type and the CW design characteristics regulated the specific removal mechanisms. Therefore, CWs are not an overall solution to remove antibiotics from urban wastewater during cold seasons. However, more studies are needed to assess their ability in warmer periods and to determine the behaviour of full-scale systems.