Monitoring of Veterinary Antibiotics in the Agro-Environment

Abstract

Antibiotics has been recognized as an emerging contaminant in the agro-environment such as soil, irrigation water, and plant because of antibiotic resistance gene production. However, information about residual of antibiotics in the agro-environment is limited. Thus, antibiotic concentration in soil and cultivated plant was monitored in the two different region. Total of 7 different location was selected for soil and plant sampling and 6 antibiotics classified with tetracyclines (TCs) and sulfonamides (SAs) were analyzed. Result showed that all TCs and SAs were detected at least 2 locations while SMZ (sulfamethazine) and SMX (sulfamethoxazole) were not dected in the plant sample. Concentration range of TC and SA in the soil was 0.58 - 3.34, 0.12 - 3.02 µg kg -1 respectively. In case of plant, residual concentration was ranged 15.1 - 194.0, 24.9 - 36.3 µg kg -1 . Depending on antibiotic properties and physicochemical properties of soil, residual amount of antibiotics in soil and plant was varied. Overall, antibiotics could be detected in the agri-environment and best management practice should be conducted for minimizing adverse effect of antibiotics on ecosystem and human health.