Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in urban soil in Beijing and Shanghai, China

Migration and Accumulation Simulation Prediction of PPCPs in Urban Green Space Soil Irrigated with Recycled Water: A Review

The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in reclaimed water introduces an ongoing challenge as they infiltrate green space soils during irrigation, leading to a gradual buildup that poses considerable ecological risks. The simulation and forecasting of PPCPs accumulation in soil are pivotal for proactive ecological risk management. However, the majority of research efforts have predominantly concentrated on the vertical transport mechanisms of PPCPs in the soil, neglecting a holistic perspective that integrates both vertical and lateral transport phenomena, alongside accumulation dynamics. To address this gap, this study introduces a comprehensive conceptual model that encapsulates the dual processes of vertical and lateral transport, coupled with accumulation of PPCPs in the soil environment. Grounded in the distinctive properties of green space soils, we delve into the determinants governing the vertical and lateral migration of PPCPs. Furthermore, we consolidate existing simulation methodologies for contaminant transport, aiming to establish a comprehensive model that accurately predicts PPCPs accumulation in green space soils. This insight is critical for deducing the emission threshold of reclaimed water necessary for the protection of green space soils, informing the formulation of rational irrigation strategies, and anticipating future environmental risks. It provides a critical theoretical basis for more informed decision-making in the realm of urban water reuse and pollution control.

Review on antibiotic pollution dynamics: insights to occurrence, environmental behaviour, ecotoxicity, and management strategies

Antibiotic contamination poses a significant global concern due to its far-reaching impact on public health and the environment. This comprehensive review delves into the prevalence of various antibiotic classes in environmental pollution and their interactions with natural ecosystems. Fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines, and sulphonamides have emerged as prevalent contaminants in environmental matrices worldwide. The concentrations of these antibiotics vary across diverse environments, influenced by production practices, consumer behaviours, and socio-economic factors. Low- and low-middle-income countries face unique challenges in managing antibiotic contamination, with dominant mechanisms like hydrolysis, sorption, and biodegradation leading to the formation of toxic byproducts. Ecotoxicity reports reveal the detrimental effects of these byproducts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, further emphasizing the gravity of the issue. Notably, monitoring the antibiotic parent compound alone may be inadequate for framing effective control and management strategies for antibiotic pollution. This review underscores the imperative of a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to address environmental antibiotic contamination and combat antimicrobial resistance. It also advocates for the development and implementation of tailored national action plans that consider specific environmental conditions and factors. Thus, an approach is crucial for safeguarding both public health and the delicate balance of our natural ecosystems.

Bioelectrochemical remediation of soil antibiotic and antibiotic resistance gene pollution: Key factors and solution strategies

In recent years, owing to the overuse and improper handling of antibiotics, soil antibiotic pollution has become increasingly serious and an environmental issue of global concern. It affects the quality and ecological balance of the soil and allows the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which threatens the health of all people. As a promising soil remediation technology, bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are superior to traditional technologies because of their simple operation, self-sustaining operation, easy control characteristics, and use of the metabolic processes of microorganisms and electrochemical redox reactions. Moreover, they effectively remediate antibiotic contaminants in soil. This review explores the application of BES remediation mechanisms in the treatment of antibiotic contamination in soil in detail. The advantages of BES restoration are highlighted, including the effective removal of antibiotics from the soil and the prevention of the spread of ARGs. Additionally, the critical roles played by microbial communities in the remediation process and the primary parameters influencing the remediation effect of BES were clarified. This study explores several strategies to improve the BES repair efficiency, such as adjusting the reactor structure, improving the electrode materials, applying additives, and using coupling systems. Finally, this review discusses the current limitations and future development prospects, and how to improve its performance and promote its practical applications. In summary, this study aimed to provide a reference for better strategies for BES to effectively remediate soil antibiotic contamination.

Assessing earthworm exposure to a multi-pharmaceutical mixture in soil: unveiling insights through LC-MS and MALDI-MS analyses, and impact of biochar on pharmaceutical bioavailability

In the European circular economy, agricultural practices introduce pharmaceutical (PhAC) residues into the terrestrial environment, posing a potential risk to earthworms. This study aimed to assess earthworm bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), the ecotoxicological effects of PhACs, the impact of biochar on PhAC bioavailability to earthworms, and their persistence in soil and investigate earthworm uptake mechanisms along with the spatial distribution of PhACs. Therefore, earthworms were exposed to contaminated soil for 21 days. The results revealed that BAFs ranged from 0.0216 to 0.329, with no significant ecotoxicological effects on earthworm weight or mortality (p > 0.05). Biochar significantly influenced the uptake of 14 PhACs on the first day (p < 0.05), with diminishing effects over time, and affected significantly the soil-degradation kinetics of 16 PhACs. Moreover, MALDI-MS analysis revealed that PhAC uptake occurs through both the dermal and oral pathways, as pharmaceuticals were distributed throughout the entire earthworm tissue without specific localization. In conclusion, this study suggests ineffective PhAC accumulation in earthworms, highlights the influence of biochar on PhAC degradation rates in soil, and suggests that uptake can occur through both earthworm skin and oral ingestion.

Urbanization and land use regulate soil vulnerability to antibiotic contamination in urban green spaces

The presence of antibiotics in environment is an emerging concern because of their ubiquitous occurrence, adverse eco-toxicological effects, and promotion of widespread antibiotic resistance. Urban soil, which plays a noticeable role in human health, may be a reservoir of antibiotics because of intensive human disturbance. However, little is understood about the vulnerability of soil to antibiotic contamination in urban areas and the spatial-temporal characteristics of anthropogenic and environmental pressures. In this study, we developed a framework for the dynamic assessment of soil vulnerability to antibiotic contamination in urban green spaces, combining antibiotic release, exposure, and consequence layers. According to the results, soil vulnerability risks shown obvious spatial-temporal variation in urban areas. Areas at a high risk of antibiotic contamination were usually found in urban centers with high population densities and in seasons with low temperature and vegetation coverage. Quinolones (e.g., ofloxacin and norfloxacin) were priority antibiotics that posed the highest vulnerability risks, followed by tetracyclines. We also confirmed the effectiveness of the vulnerability assessment by correlating soil vulnerability indexes and antibiotic residues in urban soils. Furthermore, urbanization- and land use-related parameters were shown to be critical in regulating soil vulnerability to antibiotic contamination based on sensitivity analysis. These findings have important implications for the prediction and mitigation of urban soil contamination with antibiotics and strategies to improve human health.

Does Environmental Exposure to Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Product Residues Result in the Selection of Antimicrobial-Resistant Microorganisms, and is this Important in Terms of Human Health Outcomes?

The environment plays a critical role in the development, dissemination, and transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) enter the environment through direct application to the environment and through anthropogenic pollution. Although there is a growing body of evidence defining minimal selective concentrations (MSCs) of antibiotics and the role antibiotics play in horizontal gene transfer (HGT), there is limited evidence on the role of non-antibiotic PPCPs. Existing data show associations with the development of resistance or effects on bacterial growth rather than calculating selective endpoints. Research has focused on laboratory-based systems rather than in situ experiments, although PPCP concentrations found throughout wastewater, natural water, and soil environments are often within the range of laboratory-derived MSCs and at concentrations shown to promote HGT. Increased selection and HGT of AMR by PPCPs will result in an increase in total AMR abundance in the environment, increasing the risk of exposure and potential transmission of environmental AMR to humans. There is some evidence to suggest that humans can acquire resistance from environmental settings, with water environments being the most frequently studied. However, because this is currently limited, we recommend that more evidence be gathered to understand the risk the environment plays in regard to human health. In addition, we recommend that future research efforts focus on MSC-based experiments for non-antibiotic PPCPS, particularly in situ, and investigate the effect of PPCP mixtures on AMR. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:623-636. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Multimedia fate of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in a water-scarce city by coupling fugacity model and HYDRUS-1D model

Increased concentrations of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) have raised concerns about their impact on the ecological system and human health. To understand the environmental impact of PPCPs, we evaluated the fate of a typical PPCP of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in a water-scarce city of Tianjin during 2013-2020 using a coupled model based on the dynamic fugacity model and HYDRUS-1D model. The results showed that the coupled model successfully simulated the reported SMX concentrations in the main fate media of water and soils, which accounted for 46.4 % and 53.0 % with equilibrium concentrations of 135-165 ng/L and 0.4-0.5 ng/g, respectively. The cross-media transfer flux results showed that advection was the prime input path for SMX in water, while degradation was the dominant output path. Wastewater irrigation and degradation were the main transfer processes of SMX in the soil. Moreover, human activities (i.e., emission loads) and climate (i.e., temperature and precipitation) change can significantly affect the concentrations and transfer rate of SMX in the media. These findings provide basic data and methods for the risk assessment of SMX in water-scarce regions.

A comprehensive and global evaluation of residual antibiotics in agricultural soils: Accumulation, potential ecological risks, and attenuation strategies

The occurrence of antibiotics in agricultural soils has raised concerns due to their potential risks to ecosystems and human health. However, a comprehensive understanding of antibiotic accumulation, distribution, and potential risks to terrestrial ecosystems on a global scale is still limited. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the accumulation of antibiotics and their potential risks to soil microorganisms and plants, and highlighted the driving factors of antibiotic accumulation in agricultural soils based on 134 peer-reviewed studies (between 2000 and 2022). The results indicated that 56 types of antibiotics were detected at least once in agricultural soils with concentrations ranging from undetectable to over 7000 µg/kg. Doxycycline, tylosin, sulfamethoxazole, and enrofloxacin, belonging to the tetracyclines, macrolides, sulfonamides, and fluoroquinolones, respectively, were the most accumulated antibiotics in agricultural soil. The accumulation of TCs, SAs, and FQs was found to pose greater risks to soil microorganisms (average at 29.3%, 15.4%, and 21.8%) and plants (42.4%, 26.0%, and 38.7%) than other antibiotics. East China was identified as a hot spot for antibiotic contamination due to high levels of antibiotic concentration and ecological risk to soil microorganisms and plants. Antibiotic accumulation was found to be higher in vegetable fields (245.5 µg/kg) and orchards (212.4 µg/kg) compared to croplands (137.2 µg/kg). Furthermore, direct land application of manure resulted in a greater accumulation of TCs, SAs, and FQs accumulation in soils than compost fertilization. The level of antibiotics decreased with increasing soil pH and organic matter content, attributed to decreasing adsorption and enhancing degradation of antibiotics. In conclusion, this study highlights the need for further research on the impacts of antibiotics on soil ecological function in agricultural fields and their interaction mechanisms. Additionally, a whole-chain approach, consisting of antibiotic consumption reduction, manure management strategies, and remediation technology for soil contaminated with antibiotics, is needed to eliminate the potential environmental risks of antibiotics for sustainable and green agriculture.

A comprehensive review on quinolone contamination in environments: current research progress

Quinolone (QN) antibiotics are a kind of broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of human and animal diseases. They have the characteristics of strong antibacterial activity, stable metabolism, low production cost, and no cross-resistance with other antibacterial drugs. They are widely used in the world. QN antibiotics cannot be completely digested and absorbed in organisms and are often excreted in urine and feces in the form of original drugs or metabolites, which are widely occurring in surface water, groundwater, aquaculture wastewater, sewage treatment plants, sediments, and soil environment, thus causing environmental pollution. In this paper, the pollution status, biological toxicity, and removal methods of QN antibiotics at home and abroad were reviewed. Literature data showed that QNs and its metabolites had serious ecotoxicity. Meanwhile, the spread of drug resistance induced by continuous emission of QNs should not be ignored. In addition, adsorption, chemical oxidation, photocatalysis, and microbial removal of QNs are often affected by a variety of experimental conditions, and the removal is not complete, so it is necessary to combine a variety of processes to efficiently remove QNs in the future.

Urbanization-land-use interactions predict antibiotic contamination in soil across urban-rural gradients

Antibiotics ubiquitously occur in soils and pose a potential threat to ecosystem health. Concurrently, urbanization and land-use intensification have transformed soil ecosystems, but how they affect antibiotic contamination remain largely unknown. Therefore, we profiled a broad-scale pattern of antibiotics in soil from agricultural lands and green spaces across urbanization gradients, and explored the hypothetical models to verify the effects of urbanization and land-use intensity on antibiotic contamination. The results showed that antibiotic concentrations and seasonality were higher in agricultural soil than in green spaces, which respectively showed linear or hump-shaped declines along with the increasing distance to urban centers. However, the response of antibiotic pollution to land-use intensity depended strongly on the urbanization level. More importantly, interactions between urbanization and land-use explained, on average, 59.6 % of the variation in antibiotic concentrations in soil across urbanization gradients. The proposed interactions can predict the non-linear changes in soil vulnerability to antibiotic contamination. Our study revealed that the urbanization can modulate the effects of land-use intensity on antibiotic concentration and seasonality in the soil environment, and that there is high stress on peri-urban soil ecosystems due to ongoing land-use changes arising from rapid urbanization processes.

Occurrence, spatial distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in soil in urban agglomeration

Antibiotics in soil environment are regarded as emerging pollutants and have introduced increasing risks to soil ecosystem and human health in rapid urbanization areas. Identifying the occurrence and spatial variability of antibiotics in soils is an urgent issue in sustaining soil security. In this study, antibiotics in soils were investigated and analyzed in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. The occurrence, spatial distribution, and related affecting factors of antibiotics in soils were identified and ecological risks of antibiotics in soil environment were assessed. Results showed that (1) The mean concentration of soil antibiotics in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration was 21.79 µg/kg. Land use substantially affected the occurrence and concentration of antibiotics in soils. Concentrations of antibiotics in cropland and orchard soils were 2-3 times higher than the other land use types. (2) The concentrations of antibiotics in soils in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration presented a spatial pattern of high values in southeast, and low values in northwest. Spatial variability of antibiotics in soils was closely related to the application of organic fertilizer and wastewater irrigation as well as topographical features. Furthermore, soil properties and land management policy had substantial influences on soil antibiotics, and soil heavy metals may aggravate the accumulation of antibiotics in soils. (3) Ecological risks assessment of antibiotics in soils demonstrated that erythromycin (ERY), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and doxycycline (DOX) may introduce high risks to soil ecosystem health, and more attention should be paid to the areas with intensive human activities that had potential high risk to soil ecosystem health. This study suggests that scientific land and soil management should be considered to prevent soil antibiotic pollution and sustain soil security in urban agglomeration.

Effects of irrigation water quality on the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in topsoil and vegetables in greenhouses

The presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment has harmful effects on humans and the ecosystem. Reclaimed water irrigation may introduce PPCPs into the agricultural system. Here, a greenhouse experiment investigated the impact of reclaimed water irrigation on PPCP levels in the edible parts of vegetables and topsoil in the North China Plain in 2015 and 2016. Three treatment protocols were applied to each vegetable: irrigation with reclaimed water, irrigation with groundwater, and mixed irrigation with groundwater and reclaimed water (1:1, v/v). The total concentrations of 10 PPCPs in the topsoil (0-20 cm deep) and vegetables were 4.06-19.0 and 2.33-189 μg/kg, respectively. Among the target PPCPs, acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (AC-SMX) had the highest concentration in both soil and vegetables (0.23-10.8 and 1.56-116 μg/kg, respectively). The total concentration of the 10 PPCPs among cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, and cucumber were 13.1-28.1, 10.3-28.3, 2.33-4.04, and 110-189 μg/kg, respectively. The total hazard quotients for the mixture of target PPCPs across all vegetables were 0.0007 and 0.0003 for toddlers and adults, respectively. Compared with groundwater irrigation, reclaimed water irrigation did not evidently affect the vegetable yields, soil-vegetable PPCP concentrations, and BCFs. In this study, we found no potential hazard to human health when people consumed vegetables grown using reclaimed water irrigation.

Association between fluoroquinolone exposure and children's growth and development: A multisite biomonitoring-based study in northern China

BACKGROUND

Although animal experiments found that antibiotic exposure during early life increased adiposity, limited human epidemiological evidence is available for the effects of veterinary antibiotic exposure on children's growth and development.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to examine the body burden of fluoroquinolones in northern Chinese children and assess its association with growth and development.

METHODS

After recruiting 233 children aged 0-15 years from 12 different sites in northern China in 2020, we measured urinary concentrations of 5 respective fluoroquinolones (fleroxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin) by high performance liquid chromatography. Categories of children's growth and development were identified based on the Z score of body mass index. The health risks of individual and combined antibiotic exposure were estimated by the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI), respectively. The association between children's growth and development with antibiotic concentrations was evaluated via multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 4 antibiotics, fleroxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin, were found in urine samples of northern Chinese children at an overall frequency of 57.08%. Due to diet and economic differences, antibiotic concentrations in urine samples differed by study area, and the highest concentrations were found in Tianjin, Henan, and Beijing. The percentage of the participants with HQ > 1 caused by ciprofloxacin exposure was 20.61%, and the HI values in 23.18% of samples exceeded 1, suggesting potential health risks. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of overweight or obesity risk of tertile 2 of enrofloxacin was 3.01 (1.12, 8.11), indicating an increase in overweight or obesity risk for children with middle-concentration enrofloxacin exposure.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to show a positive association of enrofloxacin internal exposure with overweight or obesity risk in children, demonstrating that more attention should be given to the usage and disposal of fluoroquinolones to safeguard children's health.

Modelling approaches for linking the residual concentrations of antibiotics in soil with antibiotic properties and land-use types in the largest urban agglomerations in China: A review

Persistently high concentrations of antibiotics have been reported in soils worldwide due to the intensive use of veterinary antibiotics, and continuous adsorption and transport of various antibiotics in soils occur, posing a significant threat to the environment and human health. This study systematically reviews the spatial distribution and ecological risk of four commonly detected antibiotic residues in soil in China, including sulphonamides (SAs), fluoroquinolones (FQs), tetracyclines (TCs) and macrolides (MLs), using various models, such as redundancy analysis (RDA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). Antibiotic residual concentration data were obtained from relevant repositories and the literature. The results suggest a high level of antibiotic pollution and ecological risk in the largest urban agglomerations (LUAs), including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with a 100% detection rate. SAs, FQs, TCs and MLs were the dominant antibiotic residues in soils, mainly attributed to manure fertilization and wastewater reuse in agriculture. These antibiotic concentrations ranged from 10^-3 to 10³ μg kg^-1, and their ecological risk varied significantly across different regions of China, with SAs posing the most serious ecological risk to the soil environment (p < 0.05). These models established a significant association (p < 0.05) between the physicochemical properties of antibiotics and land-use type (LUT) with antibiotic residues in soil. The structure of the antibiotic exerted the greatest influence on antibiotic residues, followed by the LUT, while regional differences had the weakest effect.

Occurrence, Comparison and Priority Identification of Antibiotics in Surface Water and Sediment in Urbanized River: A Case Study of Suzhou Creek in Shanghai

Antibiotics in water have attracted increasing attention due to their potential threat to aquatic ecosystems and public health. Most previous studies have focused on heavily polluted environments, while ignoring urbanized rivers with high population density. Taking Suzhou Creek in Shanghai as an example, this study attempted to explore the antibiotic pollution characteristics of typical urbanized rivers. Further, it screened out priority antibiotics so as to provide reference for the regular monitoring of antibiotics in urban surface water in the study’s later stage. Four classes of 27 antibiotics in surface water samples and sediment samples were detected and analyzed by SPE-UPLC-MS/MS under both wet season and dry season. Results demonstrate that the total amount of antibiotics detected reached 1936.9 ng/L and 337.3 ng/g in water samples and sediment samples, respectively. Through Pearson correlation analysis, it can be shown that there is a very significant correlation between a variety of antibiotics in water and sediment. The results of ecological risk assessment based on risk quotient (RQ) show that certain antibiotics presented high and medium risk to the surrounding ecosystem. Finally, the priority antibiotics selected by optimized priority screening method were EM, SPD, CLR and RTM. Therefore, we have proven that the antibiotics being discharged in urbanized rivers show different types of antibiotics, while presenting a toxicological risk to certain species.

Pseudo toxicity abatement effect of norfloxacin and copper combined exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans

The coexistence of antibiotics and heavy metals may result in complex ecotoxicological effects on living organisms. In this work, the combined toxic effects of norfloxacin (NOR) and copper (Cu) on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were investigated due to the highly possible co-pollution tendency. The results indicated that locomotion behaviors (frequency of head thrash and body bend) of C. elegans were more sensitive as the exposure time of NOR or Cu prolonged. Meanwhile, the physiological indexes (locomotion behaviors, body length) of C. elegans were more sensitive to the combined pollution that with lower Cu dosage (0.0125 μM), in prolonged exposure experiments. In addition, the toxic effects of NOR-Cu on physiological indexes of C. elegans seemed to be alleviated during prolonged exposure when Cu was 1.25 μM. Similarly, the ROS production and apoptosis level almost unchanged with the addition of NOR compared with Cu (1.25 μM) exposure groups, but both significantly higher than the control groups. Furthermore, compared with Cu (0.0125 μM and 1.25 μM) exposure experiments, the addition of NOR had resulted in the genetic expression decrease of hsp-16.1, hsp-16.2, hsp-16.48, and the oxidative stress in C. elegans seems to be alleviated. However, the significantly decreased of ape-1 and sod-3 expression indicated the disruption of ROS defense mechanism. The irregular change in ace-1 and ace-2 gene expressions in NOR-Cu (0.0125 μM) would result in the locomotion behaviors disorders of C. elegans, and this also explains why C. elegans are more sensitive to the combination of NOR and lower concentration of Cu.

Adsorption behaviours and transfer simulation of levofloxacin in silty clay

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics in soil can cause serious antibiotic pollution. Adsorption is the main factor that influences their destination and transport of antibiotics. Therefore, research on the behaviour of antibiotics once they reach the soil environment is meaningful to design appropriate measures to reduce their potential risks. This research took levofloxacin (LVFX) as the research object and used a static adsorption experiment to study the adsorption behaviour of the vadose zone of silty clay on the North China Plain. The results showed that LVFX had high retention in silty clay, with an average adsorption ratio of more than 90%. Adsorption of LVFX on silty clay reached equilibrium in 24 h with an adsorption amount of 93.5 mg/kg at an initial LVFX concentration of 10 mg/L. Acidity, cations and soil organic matter could affect the adsorption of LVFX, with adsorption variation ratio of 3.3%, 3.4% and 0.6%, respectively. In addition, numerical simulation with Hydrus-1D was utilized, and the results show that LVFX may infiltrate into underground water through silty clay after 28 days and completely penetrate in 100 days.

[Simultaneous determination of 30 antibiotics in soil by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry]

土壤基质复杂,土壤中残留的抗生素种类繁多,浓度多为痕量水平,高灵敏度的仪器方法、有效的净化和富集方法、多种类抗生素的同时检测是土壤中抗生素检测的重点和难点。该研究建立了固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定土壤中7类(磺胺类、氟喹诺酮类、四环素类、大环内酯类、β-内酰胺类、酰胺醇类和林可酰胺类)30种抗生素的方法。首先,通过参数优化确定最佳质谱条件,选择BEH-C18色谱柱,以0.1%(v/v)甲酸甲醇溶液-0.1%(v/v)甲酸水溶液为流动相,10%(v/v)甲醇水溶液为进样溶剂。然后,通过提取条件(萃取剂种类及体积)和固相萃取条件(上样液pH、淋洗液有机溶剂比例、洗脱液种类及体积)的优化,确定使用10 mL乙腈和Na₂EDTA-McIlvaine缓冲液的混合溶液(1:1, v/v)为萃取剂,萃取液pH调节至8.0后,采用HLB小柱进行固相萃取,并以10 mL超纯水淋洗净化,最后用10 mL甲醇-乙腈(1:1, v/v)洗脱目标分析物。在优化的分析条件下,该方法的定量限为0.043~4.04 μg/kg,目标化合物的标准曲线线性关系良好,相关系数在0.992~1.00的范围内,在20、100、200 μg/kg的添加浓度下,大多数目标化合物的加标回收率范围为44.8%~164%,相对标准偏差为0.700%~14.8%。将该方法用于6个实际土壤样品的分析,结果显示在30种抗生素中,17种抗生素有检出,其中12种抗生素的检出率为100%。环丙沙星和诺氟沙星是土壤样品中含量最高的两种抗生素,它们的含量范围分别是13.7~32.1和15.6~43.6 μg/kg。本研究建立的方法简单、快速、溶剂使用量少,能用于土壤样品中痕量水平的7类30种抗生素的同时测定。

Response of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria to sulfadiazine and copper and their interaction in black soils

The large-scale development of animal husbandry and the wide agricultural application of livestock manure lead to more and more serious co-pollution of heavy metals and antibiotics in soil. In this study, two common feed additives, copper (Cu) and sulfadiazine (SDZ), were selected as target pollutants to evaluate the toxicity and interaction of antibiotics and heavy metals on ammonia oxidizers diversity, potential nitrification rate (PNR), and enzymatic activity in black soils. The results showed that soil enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by single Cu pollution, but the toxicity could be reduced by introducing low-concentration SDZ (5 mg · kg^-1), which showed an antagonistic effect between Cu and SDZ (5 mg · kg^-1), while the combined toxicity of high-concentration SDZ (10 mg · kg^-1) and Cu were strengthened compared with the single Cu contamination on soil enzymes. In contrast, soil PNR was more sensitive to single Cu pollution and its combined pollution with SDZ than the enzyme activity. Real-time fluorescence quota PCR and Illumina Hiseq/Miseq sequencing results showed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) was decreased in C2 (200 mg · kg^-1 Cu treatment) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was obviously stimulated in soil contaminated in C2, while in S5 (5 mg · kg^-1 SDZ treatment), AOB was decreased; both AOA and AOB were significantly decreased at gene level in soils with combined pollutants (C2S5, 200 mg · kg^-1 Cu combined with 5 mg · kg^-1 SDZ). So, it can be concluded that combined pollution can cause more serious toxicity on the enzymatic activity, PNR, and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in soil through the synergistic effect between heavy metals and antibiotics pollutants.

Perspectives on the antibiotic contamination, resistance, metabolomics, and systemic remediation

Antibiotics have been regarded as the emerging contaminants because of their massive use in humans and veterinary medicines and their persistence in the environment. The global concern of antibiotic contamination to different environmental matrices and the emergence of antibiotic resistance has posed a severe impact on the environment. Different mass-spectrometry-based techniques confirm their presence in the environment. Antibiotics are released into the environment through the wastewater steams and runoff from land application of manure. The microorganisms get exposed to the antibiotics resulting in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Consistent release of the antibiotics, even in trace amount into the soil and water ecosystem, is the major concern because the antibiotics can lead to multi-resistance in bacteria which can cause hazardous effects on agriculture, aquaculture, human, and livestock. A better understanding of the correlation between the antibiotic use and occurrence of antibiotic resistance can help in the development of policies to promote the judicious use of antibiotics. The present review puts a light on the remediation, transportation, uptake, and antibiotic resistance in the environment along with a novel approach of creating a database for systemic remediation, and metabolomics for the cleaner and safer environment.

Application of Erythromycin and/or Raoultella sp. Strain MC3 Alters the Metabolic Activity of Soil Microbial Communities as Revealed by the Community Level Physiological Profiling Approach

Erythromycin (EM), a macrolide antibiotic, by influencing the biodiversity of microorganisms, might change the catabolic activity of the entire soil microbial community. Hence, the goal of this study was to determine the metabolic biodiversity in soil treated with EM (1 and 10 mg/kg soil) using the community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) method during a 90-day experiment. In addition, the effect of soil inoculation with antibiotic-resistant Raoultella sp. strain MC3 on CLPP was evaluated. The resistance and resilience concept as well as multifactorial analysis of data was exploited to interpret the outcomes obtained. EM negatively affected the metabolic microbial activity, as indicated by the values of the CLPP indices, i.e., microbial activity expressed as the average well-color development (AWCD), substrate richness (R), the Shannon-Wiener (H) and evenness (E) indices and the AWCD values for the six groups of carbon substrate present in EcoPlates until 15 days. The introduction of strain MC3 into soil increased the degradative activity of soil microorganisms in comparison with non-inoculated control. In contrast, at the consecutive sampling days, an increase in the values of the CLPP parameters was observed, especially for EM-10 + MC3-treated soil. Considering the average values of the resistance index for all of the measurement days, the resistance of the CLPP indices and the AWCD values for carbon substrate groups were categorized as follows: E > H > R > AWCD and polymers > amino acids > carbohydrates > miscellaneous > amines > carboxylic acids. The obtained results suggest a low level of resistance of soil microorganisms to EM and/or strain MC3 at the beginning of the exposure time, but the microbial community exhibited the ability to recover its initial decrease in catabolic activity over the experimental period. Despite the short-term effects, the balance of the soil ecosystem may be disturbed.

Recognition of typical antibiotic residues in environmental media related to groundwater in China (2009-2019)

The potential adverse environmental and health-related impacts of antibiotics are becoming more and more concerning. China is globally the largest antibiotic producer and consumer, possibly resulting in the ubiquity and high detection levels of antibiotics in environmental compartments. Clear status on the concentration levels and spatial distribution of antibiotic contamination in China's environment is necessary to gain insight into the establishment of legal and regulatory frameworks. This study collects information from over 170 papers reporting the occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in China's environment. A total of 110 antibiotics were detected, and 28 priority antibiotics were ubiquitous in China in almost all compartments of the environment, excluding the atmosphere. Seven dominant antibiotics in all environment compartments were identified by cluster analysis, including tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Meanwhile, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, and sulfamethazine were also frequently found in aqueous phases. Among the main basins where antibiotics were detected, the Haihe River Basin had higher median antibiotic concentrations in surface water compared to other basins, while the Huaihe River Basin had higher median concentrations in sediment. The median values of antibiotic concentrations in the sources were as follows: animal manure, 39 μg/kg (microgram per kilogram); WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) sludge, 39 μg/kg; animal wastewater, 156 ng/L (nanogram per liter); WWTP effluent: 15 ng/L. These concentrations are 1 - 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the receptors (soil, 2.1 μg/kg; sediment, 4.7 μg/kg; surface water, 8.1 ng/L; groundwater, 2.9 ng/L), whether in solid or aqueous phases. Based on the number of detected antibiotics in various environmental compartments, animal farms and WWTPs are the main sources of antibiotics, and surface water and sediment are the main receptors of antibiotics. Hierarchical clustering identified the two main pathways of antibiotic transfer in various environmental compartments, which are from animal wastewater/WWTP effluent to surface water/sediment and from animal manure/WWTP sludge to soil/groundwater.

Antibiotics in soil and water in China-a systematic review and source analysis

With the high production and consumption of antibiotics in recent years due to increasing economic development and improving population health, China is facing serious antibiotic pollution in the environment, and it is becoming a significant threat to ecology and human health. This study explores the spatial distribution patterns of 65 antibiotics in soil, surface water and coastal water based on a systematic review. Potential emission sources of antibiotics are also analyzed using data extracted from the reviewed literature. The results suggest that China has very high antibiotic detection rates of 100%, 98.0% and 96.4% for soil, surface water and coastal water, respectively. Regions with high antibiotic levels are mainly located in Bohai Bay, including the Beijing‒Tianjin‒Hebei region, Liaoning and Shandong Provinces, and Yangtze River. Tetracyclines (TCs) and quinolones (QNs) are the dominant antibiotics observed in soil and are mainly attributed to the use of manure as fertilizer and the reuse of domestic wastewater. Sulfonamides (SAs), macrolides (MLs), TCs and QNs are the dominant antibiotics observed in surface water and are mainly attributed to aquaculture and the emission of domestic sewage. QNs are the dominant antibiotics observed in coastal water and are mainly attributed to marine cultivation. The detection frequencies and concentrations of TCs, QNs, SAs and MLs in both soil and water are much higher than those in other developed countries. Suggestions including restricting antibiotic usages in livestock farming and aquaculture, innovation of wastewater treatment technology to improve antibiotic removal rate, and establishing guidelines on antibiotic concentration for wastewater discharge and organic fertilizer are provided.

Occurrence, sources and risk assessment of fluoroquinolones in dumpsite soil and sewage sludge from Chennai, India

Soil and sludge are major reservoirs of organic compounds such as fluoroquinolones (FQs) which are broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. Hence, we monitored three major FQs, namely, ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NOR), and ofloxacin (OFL), in surface soil from two major dumpsites and dry and wet sludge from sewage treatment plants in Chennai city. The mean concentration of FQs in soil and sludge samples were 20 μg/g and 26 μg/g, respectively. Nearly 50% of the total FQs in dumpsite soil was contributed by CIP followed by NOR (32%) and OFL (13%). Similarly, CIP was the major contributor in sludge samples followed by NOR and OFL. The concentration of FQs was two folds higher in wet sludge than dry sludge most likely indicating that water solubility of these compounds might play an important role for elevated level of FQs in wet sludge. Solid waste from pharmaceutical industries, households, and sludge from wastewater treatment plants were expected to be the major source of FQs in dumpsite soil. Predicted risk assessment using soil to water migration concentrations via surface run off indicated high risk to aquatic organisms. However, risk quotient (RQ) was found less to earthworm in most of the soil samples. The findings from this study might help in future policies on disposal of household antibiotics in the solid waste stream.

Cellulase modified waste biomass to remove sulfamethazine from aqueous solutions

The objective of this work is to find a simple and environmentally friendly way to prepare high efficiency adsorbent from maize stover by cellulase. The characteristics of the original maize cob (MC), maize husk (MH), maize straw (MS), and its cellulase modified form (MMC, MMH and MMS) were detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Batch adsorption experiments indicated that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption capacity of sulfamethazine (SMT) to adsorbents was in order of MMC > MMS > MMH > MC > MS > MH. The adsorption isotherm data of SMT on original materials were consistent with Freundlich models, while Henry models were more suitable for the modified materials. The adsorption was affected by pH and ionic strength which demonstrated the interaction between π-π EDA and H bonds might be an important factor in the adsorption of SMT on maize stover. The results of FTIR and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) analysis further demonstrated that oxhydryl and aromatic structures in the modified maize stover could interact with SMT via H bonds and π-π EDA interaction, respectively. This work provides a green way to remove SMT from aqueous solution, and new insights into the mechanisms of adsorption of SMT on stover materials.

Unravelling kinetic and microbial responses of enriched nitrifying sludge under long-term exposure of cephalexin and sulfadiazine

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as one of the reservoirs of antibiotics. Although nitrifying bacteria have been reported to be capable of degrading various antibiotics, there are very few studies investigating long-term effects of antibiotics on kinetic and microbial responses of nitrifying bacteria. In this study, cephalexin (CFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) were selected to assess chronic impacts on nitrifying sludge with stepwise increasing concentrations in two independent bioreactors. The results showed that CFX and SDZ at an initial concentration of 100 μg/L could be efficiently removed by enriched nitrifying sludge, as evidenced by removal efficiencies of more than 88% and 85%, respectively. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) made a major contribution to the biodegradation of CFX and SDZ via cometabolism, compared to limited contributions from heterotrophic bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Chronic exposure to CFX (≥30 μg/L) could stimulate ammonium oxidation activity in terms of a significant enhancement of ammonium oxidation rate (p < 0.01). In contrast, the ammonium oxidation activity was inhibited due to exposure to 30 μg/L SDZ (p < 0.01), then it recovered after long-term adaption under exposure to 50 and 100 μg/L SDZ. In addition, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the relative abundance of AOB decreased distinctly from 23.8% to 28.8% in the control phase (without CFX or SDZ) to 14.2% and 10.8% under exposure to 100 μg/L CFX and SDZ, respectively. However, the expression level of amoA gene was up-regulated to overcome this adverse impact and maintain a stable and efficient removal of both ammonium and antibiotics. The findings in this study shed a light on chronic effects of antibiotic exposure on kinetic and microbial responses of enriched nitrifying sludge in WWTPs.

Competitive adsorption of tylosin, sulfamethoxazole and Cu(II) on nano-hydroxyapatitemodified biochar in water

Antibiotics and heavy metals are frequently detected simultaneously in water environment. In this study, the competitive adsorption behavior of tylosin (TYL) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on nano-hydroxyapatite modified biochar (nHAP@biochar) in accordance with Cu(II) in single, binary and ternary systems was investigated. The specific surface area of nHAP@biochar was 566.056 m²/g. The adsorption of TYL on nHAP@biochar reduced by 13.36%-41.04% or 9.92%-38.69% with Cu(II) and SMX in the solution, respectively. The suppression of SMX was stronger than Cu(II) on the adsorption of TYL when the SMX or Cu(II) was constant. The adsorption of SMX increased by 2.01-3.56 times in the present of Cu(II), while suppressed by TYL up to 42.30%. Due to the bridging of TYL or SMX between the nHAP@biochar and Cu(II) and destroying of bound water surrounded, the adsorption of Cu(II) increased to a greater extent. Electrostatic interaction and H-bond were the two main interactions between TYL, SMX and Cu(II) and nHAP@biochar. π-π interactions was also interaction between the SMX and nHAP@biochar.

An innovative modeling approach of linking land use patterns with soil antibiotic contamination in peri-urban areas

Due to the intensive use and continuous release, high and persistent concentrations of antibiotics are found in soils worldwide. This severe contamination elevates the risks associated with antibiotic exposure and resistance for soil ecosystems and human health. Estimating antibiotic concentrations in soils is a complex and important challenge because the limited information is available on antibiotic use and emission and the high exposure risk to human health occurred in peri-urban areas. In this study, soil antibiotic contamination was linked with land use patterns in a data-scarce peri-urban area in four different seasons, and we established a modeling framework based on land use to estimate spatially explicit distribution of antibiotics in soils. The soil antibiotic concentration was found to be substantially affected by surrounding land use patterns in buffer zones with a radius of 350 m. Agricultural land was the main source of antibiotics entering the soil. Notably, road networks also had considerable impacts on antibiotic residues in soils. Then, a statistical model was developed in describing the linkage between land use patterns and soil antibiotic concentration. Model evaluation suggested that the proposed model successfully simulated the variation of antibiotics in soil with good statistical performance (R² > 0.7). Finally, the model was extrapolated to investigate detailed distribution of antibiotics in soils. Clear spatial and seasonal dynamics can be found in soil antibiotic concentration. To our knowledge, this was the first attempt to adopt a model focusing on land use pattern to estimate the spatially explicit distribution of antibiotics in soils. Despite of some uncertainties, the research provides a land-use-based modeling approach as a reference for preventing and controlling soil antibiotic contamination in the future.

Removal of tylosin and copper from aqueous solution by biochar stabilized nano-hydroxyapatite

Antibiotics and heavy metals are frequently detected simultaneously in water environment. Effective elimination methods for antibiotics and heavy metals pollution should deserve our attention. This study investigates the adsorption performance of biochar modified with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP) on tylosin (TYL) and Cu from water simultaneously. Composite adsorbents of nHAP and biomass, derived from three waste residues, which were wood-processing residues (WR), wheat straw (WS) and Chinese medicine residues (CMR), were prepared. According to the results of orthogonal experiment, the degree of influence of the three factors on TYL and Cu were the pyrolysis temperature > the proportion of nHAP and biomass > the sources of biomass, and pyrolysis temperature> the sources of biomass> the proportion of nHAP and biomass, respectively. The optimum conditions for nHAP@biochar were screened. At pH < 7.0, the adsorption quality of TYL increased with pH increased, while at pH > 7.0, the adsorption quality of TYL changed slightly. At low pH, Cu and TYL could compete for the same adsorption sites on nHAP@biochars. The adsorption amount of TYL and Cu were both increased with increasing of the temperature. Compared with Langmuir model, Freundlich model could better fit the TYL adsorption on nHAP@biochars, with K_f values of TYL 62.35 (mmol/kg) (L/mmol)ⁿ (WR1) and 4.84 (mmol/kg) (L/mmol)ⁿ (CMR1), respectively.

Sensitivity assessment of denitrifying bacteria against typical antibiotics in groundwater

The effects of antibiotics on nitrate denitrification in groundwater have acquired growing concern. Denitrification is a microbially mediated process. The effects of antibiotics on denitrification were mainly reflected in denitrifying bacteria. However, little is known about the relationship between antibiotics and denitrifying bacteria. Based on this, both direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing and microbial batch-culture experiments were conducted to assess the influences of typical antibiotics on denitrifying groundwater bacteria, mainly Pseudomonas (46.17%). Denitrifying bacteria, screened from a long-term groundwater denitrification environment, were tested for sensitivity to five typical antibiotics in groundwater: sulfamethoxazole (SMX), erythromycin (ERY), enrofloxacin (ENR), clindamycin (CLI), and tetracycline (TCY). The results showed that the sensitivity of denitrifying bacteria to antibiotics is mainly related to the type and concentration of antibiotics. For antibiotic types, the order of sensitivity by quantitative assessment is ENR > TCY > SMX > ERY > CLI. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) represented by ENR were selected to explore their concentration effects. The influences on denitrifying bacteria were divided into the high concentration effect (500 μg L-1 to 100 mg L-1) and the low concentration effect (100 ng L-1 to 10 μg L-1) with about 100 μg L-1 as a boundary. Exposure to high concentrations had significant inhibitory effects on bacterial growth and exhibited dose dependency, especially for ciprofloxacin (CIP). The low concentration effect was independent of concentration, which may be stimulation or inhibition. The stimulation mainly occurred due to ENR-exposure. For inhibitory effects, Lomefloxacin (LOM) was more effective than other FQs. Especially for inhibition at ng-level exposure, LOM and norfloxacin (NOR) exposures led to the highest and lowest inhibition rates, respectively.

Antibiotics in the Soil Environment-Degradation and Their Impact on Microbial Activity and Diversity

Antibiotics play a key role in the management of infectious diseases in humans, animals, livestock, and aquacultures all over the world. The release of increasing amount of antibiotics into waters and soils creates a potential threat to all microorganisms in these environments. This review addresses issues related to the fate and degradation of antibiotics in soils and the impact of antibiotics on the structural, genetic and functional diversity of microbial communities. Due to the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which is considered a worldwide public health problem, the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soils are also discussed. When antibiotic residues enter the soil, the main processes determining their persistence are sorption to organic particles and degradation/transformation. The wide range of DT50 values for antibiotic residues in soils shows that the processes governing persistence depend on a number of different factors, e.g., physico-chemical properties of the residue, characteristics of the soil, and climatic factors (temperature, rainfall, and humidity). The results presented in this review show that antibiotics affect soil microorganisms by changing their enzyme activity and ability to metabolize different carbon sources, as well as by altering the overall microbial biomass and the relative abundance of different groups (i.e., Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and fungi) in microbial communities. Studies using methods based on analyses of nucleic acids prove that antibiotics alter the biodiversity of microbial communities and the presence of many types of ARGs in soil are affected by agricultural and human activities. It is worth emphasizing that studies on ARGs in soil have resulted in the discovery of new genes and enzymes responsible for bacterial resistance to antibiotics. However, many ambiguous results indicate that precise estimation of the impact of antibiotics on the activity and diversity of soil microbial communities is a great challenge.

Co-contamination of antibiotics and metals in peri-urban agricultural soils and source identification

To identify the dominant sources of contamination in peri-urban land, this study investigated the concentrations and distributions of antibiotics and metals in agricultural soil of this area. An index of landscape development intensity (LDI) was used to characterize the distribution of human disturbance-related land use. The results showed that total antibiotic concentration in the soil reached 395.55 μg/kg and that chlortetracycline was the predominant antibiotic compound, with a relatively high mean concentration of 30.62 μg/kg. In soils, the mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb were 38.41, 127.88, and 56.61 mg/kg and those of Al, Fe, and K were 83.73, 24.17, and 23.42 g/kg, respectively. A redundancy analysis showed that the landscape pattern in a 300-m buffer zone can well explain the variation in the concentrations of antibiotics and metals (24%, p < 0.05). The LDI in the 300-m buffer zone significantly correlated with the concentrations of total antibiotics and total amounts of Cu and Zn in the soil, suggesting that the risk of soil contamination increases with the intensity of anthropogenic activities. A structural equation modeling analysis indicated that Al, Cu, and Zn could significantly aggravate accumulation of tetracycline antibiotics in the soil, whereas there were only significantly direct paths from Cu to ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Overall, the results showed that aggravated co-contamination of antibiotics and metals occurs in agricultural soil under intensive human disturbance.

Iron and manganese oxides modified maize straw to remove tylosin from aqueous solutions

Maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides was synthesized via a simple and environmentally friendly method. Three maize straw materials, the original maize straw, maize straw modified by manganese oxides and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides, were detected by SEM, BET, XPS, XRD and FTIR. The results showed that maize straw was successfully modified and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides has a larger surface area than MS. According to the experimental data, the sorption trend could conform to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well, and the sorption ability of tylosin on sorbents followed the order of original maize straw < maize straw modified by manganese oxides < maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides. The study indicated that manganese oxides and iron-manganese oxides could significantly enhance the sorption capacity of original maize straw. The sorption isotherm data of tylosin on original maize straw fit a linear model well, while Freundlich models were more suitable for maize straw modified by manganese oxides and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides. The pH, ionic strength and temperature can affect the sorption process. The sorption mechanisms of tylosin on iron and manganese oxides modified maize straw were attribute to the surface complexes, electrostatic interactions, H bonding and hydrophobic interactions.

Impacts of irrigation water sources and geochemical conditions on vertical distribution of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the vadose zone soils

Groundwater pollution by emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), has caused increasing concerns around the world. The vadose zone is an active zone where lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere interact. It is an important medium for PPCPs removal and entry into groundwater from irrigation using wastewater or polluted surface water. In the present study, the occurrence and distribution of eleven PPCPs in areas with a vadose zone (up to 16 m) was investigated from wastewater irrigated farmland, groundwater irrigated farmland and a seasonal river course in Beijing (China). Nine out of eleven PPCPs were detectable, and carbamazepine and caffeine had the highest detection frequencies, above 50%. The PPCPs were detectable deep in 16 m below ground level (bgl), and their concentrations ranged from <LOD (limit of detection) to 12.5 μg/kg. Compared to the vadose zone soils irrigated with groundwater, wastewater-irrigated vadose zone soils had significantly higher PPCPs detection frequencies and contamination levels, suggesting the important roles of irrigation water sources on PPCPs accumulation and transport in the vadose zone. Additionally, PPCPs vertical distribution presented a bell-shape pattern in the vadose zone soils with wastewater irrigation, peaking at 3-6 m bgl. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated a significant correlation between PPCPs concentrations in the vadose zone soils and geochemical variables, including available potassium and silt content. This study provides important evidence on the influential factors of PPCPs accumulation and migration in the vadose zone soils resulted from wastewater irrigation. The incomplete removal of PPCPs poses certain risks in subsurface environment, potentially challenging groundwater quality and drinking water safety.

Presence of Antibiotics in Shallow Groundwater in the Northern and Southwestern Regions of China

Antibiotics are widely used, and there is a serious concern about its adverse impacts on the environment and human health. To our knowledge, prior to this work, there was no evidence of the potential presence of antibiotics in groundwater in China, despite populous speculations. This study reported the detection of 35 target antibiotics of 6 groups (chloramphenicois, lincosamides, marcrolides, quinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines), in shallow groundwater samples collected in northern and southwestern China. Thirty-four of thirty-five target antibiotics were detected in the groundwater samples; 73 of 74 monitoring wells contained at least one antibiotic; and at least two antibiotics were detected in 72 of the 74 wells. Ofloxacin (1199.7 ng/L), lincomycin (860.7 ng/L), and norfloxacin (441.9 ng/L) as well as antibiotics with the highest detection frequency such as sulfapyridine (70%), norfloxacin (69%), and lincomycin (64%) were detected at elevated concentrations. The highest detection frequency and concentration of lincosamides were observed in those groundwater samples, but no clear distribution patterns were observed for the six antibiotic groups. Moreover, shallow groundwater in southwestern China seemed to contain most antibiotics, likely due to the high antibiotics discharge and frequent exchange of groundwater with surface matrices. The findings from this work suggest that groundwater in China has been widely contaminated by antibiotics, and presumably other pharmaceutical compounds that have not been investigated to date.

Biodegradation of antibiotic ciprofloxacin: pathways, influential factors, and bacterial community structure

Antibiotic ciprofloxacin is ubiquitous in the environment. However, little is known about ciprofloxacin dissipation by microbial community. The present study investigated the biodegradation potential of ciprofloxacin by mixed culture and the influential factors and depicted the structure of ciprofloxacin-degrading microbial community. Both the original microbiota from drinking water biofilter and the microbiota previously acclimated to high levels of ciprofloxacin could utilize ciprofloxacin as sole carbon and nitrogen sources, while the acclimated microbiota had a much stronger removal capacity. Temperature rise and the presence of carbon or nitrogen sources favored ciprofloxacin biodegradation. Many novel biotransformation products were identified, and four different metabolic pathways for ciprofloxacin were proposed. Bacterial community structure illustrated a profound shift with ciprofloxacin biodegradation. The ciprofloxacin-degrading bacterial community was mainly composed of classes Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia, and Betaproteobacteria. Microorganisms from genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Phenylobacterium, and Leucobacter might have links with the dissipation of ciprofloxacin. This work can provide some new insights towards ciprofloxacin biodegradation.

Variations in the fate and biological effects of sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin and doxycycline in different vegetable-soil systems following manure application

The fate of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), norfloxacin (NOR) and doxycycline (DOX) and their biological effects in radish and pakchoi culture systems were investigated. DOX dissipated more rapidly than SMZ and NOR, while radish and pakchoi cultivation increased the removal of residual DOX in soils. Dissipation of NOR was accelerated in radish soils but was slowed down slightly in pakchoi soils. Vegetable cultivation exerted an insignificant effect on SMZ removal. Investigation of antibiotic bioaccumulation showed that the uptake of DOX by radish and pakchoi was undetectable, but the radish accumulated more SMZ and NOR than pakchoi. Among the three antibiotics, only SMZ use exhibited an apparent suspension of plant seed germination, up-ground plant growth and soil microbial diversity. Pakchoi responded more sensitively to SMZ than did the radish. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on MicroRESP™ indicated that the sampling time and antibiotic treatments could influence the soil microbial community. Only in the pakchoi soils did antibiotic application exert a more robust effect on the microbial community than the sampling time; SMZ treatments and DOX treatments could be clearly discriminated from the control treatments. These results are crucial for an assessment of the potential risks of antibiotics to culture system practices and suggest that good agricultural practices help to limit or even reduce antibiotic pollution.

An efficient method for tylosin removal from an aqueous solution by goethite modified straw mass

Renewable agricultural residues are produced in large quantities as waste, and their storage and management create environmental problems.