Abstract
Antibiotics have attracted global attention due to the ecological risks to environment. In this paper, solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) were utilized to analyze the fugitive characteristics of 10 antibiotics of sulfonamides (sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfadimidine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole) and tetracyclines (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline) in the coastal waters and surfece sediments of the Yangtze River Estuary and the ecological risks of antibiotics in water were estimated using ecological risk assessment method. The results have showed that 7 of the 10 antibiotics were detected in the water, with total concentrations ranging from 0.652 to 434.47 ng/L. 8 antibiotics were detected in the sediment, with total concentrations ranging from 0.091 to 499.23 ng/g. The main antibiotic species detected in the sediment and water varied seasonally. Higher concentrations in spatially distributed areas where rivers meet and where human activities have a more significant impact. The ecological risks were found to be higher in spring and autumn than those in winter and summer. Spatial variation in individual microbial communities was not evident in the sediments. The relationship between antibiotics and microorganisms in the environment was predominantly positive. Physical and chemical factors were significantly correlated for both antibiotics and microbial communities. This study can provide research ideas for other types of antibiotics and provide a basis for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Białk-Bielińska A, Stolte S, Arning J, Uebers U, Böschenb A, Stepnowski P, Marianne M (2011) Ecotoxicity evaluation of selected sulfonamides. Chemosphere 85(6):928–933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.06.058
Cui CZ, Han Q, Jiang L, Ma L, Jin L, Zhang D, Lin KF, Zhang TY (2018) Occurrence, distribution, and seasonal variation of antibiotics in an artificial water source reservoir in the Yangtze River delta, East China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2124-x
Demain AL, Sanchez S (2009) Microbial drug discovery: 80 years of progress. J Antibiot 62:5–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/ja.2008.16
Dias E, Oliveira M, Manageiro V, Vasconcelos V, Canica M (2019) Deciphering the role of cyanobacteria in water resistance: Hypothesis justifying the antibiotic resistance (phenotype and genotype) in Planktothrix genus. Sci Total Environ 652:447–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.167
Ding JN, Liu SJ, Zou JM, Shi JZ, Zou H, Shi HX (2021) Spatiotemporal Distributions and Ecological Risk Assessments of Typical Antibiotics in Surface Water of Taihu Lake. Environ Sci 42(4):1811–1819. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.202009082
Divya SP, Hatha AAM (2019) Screening of tropical estuarine water in south-west coast of India reveals emergence of ARGs-harboring hypervirulent Escherichia coli of global significance. Int J Hyg Environ Health 222(2):235–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.11.002
Feng MJ, Zhang Q, Song NH, Bu YQ, Yang ZB (2019) Occurrence Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Antibiotics in Source Water of the Nanjing Reach of the Yangtze River. Environ Sci 40(12):5286–5293. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201905139
Gaffney VJ, Almeida CMM, Rodrigues A, Ferreira E, Benoliel MJ, Cardoso VV (2015) Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in a water supply system and related human health risk assessment. Water Res 72:199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.10.027
Huang JZ, Mu LJ (2007) Research overview of carbapenem antibiotics[J]. Overseas Med (antibiotics) 2007(04):145–154
Jin L, Jiang L, Han Q, Xue JY, Ye H, Cao GM (2016) Distribution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Thirteen Sulfonamides Antibiotics in a Drinking Water Source in East China. Environ Sci 37(7):2515–2521. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2016.07.013
Kim KR, Owens G, Kwon SI (2011) Occurrence and environmental fate of veterinary antibiotics in the terrestrial environment. J Water, Air Soil Pollut 214(1–4):163–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1316-0
Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Buxton HT (2002) Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in US streams, 1999–2000: A national reconnaissance. Environ Sci Technol 36(6):1202–1211. https://doi.org/10.1021/es011055j
Li Y, Zhang LY, Liu XS, Ding J (2019) Ranking and prioritizing pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment of China. Sci Total Environ 658:333–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.048
Li H, Chen Y, Feng MJ, Wang B, Bu YQ (2020) Pollution characteristics and risk assessment of antibiotics in Nanjing drinking water sources. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae. 40(4):1269–1277. https://doi.org/10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2019.0451
Liao J, Wei XQ, Xiao YQ, Li QS, Fan HY, Liu XJ, Zhang MZ, Liu CX (2020) Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Antibiotics in Lianhua Reservoir. Environ Sci 41(09):4081–4087. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.202002084
Liu XH, Lu SY (2018) Occurrence and ecological risk of typical antibiotics in surface water of the Datong Lake, China. China Environ Sci 38(1):320–329. https://doi.org/10.19674/j.cnki.issn1000-6923.2018.0038
Liu X, Lu S, Wei G, Xi BD, Wang WL (2018a) Antibiotics in the aquatic environments: A review of lakes, China. Sci Total Environ 627:1195–1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.271
Liu YX, Zhou ZH, Qu H, Wei XD, Zhao JL, Liu YS (2018) Pollution characteristics of typical antibiotics in sediments of Guangzhou River section of the Pearl River. J South China Normal Univ (Natural Science Edition) 50(04):48–54
Liu X, Wang Z, Wang XL, Yang C, Li EH, Wei HM (2019) Status of Antibiotic Contamination and Ecological Risks Assessment of Several Typical Chinese Surface-Water Environments. Environ Sci 7(5):2094–2100. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201808105
Liu YH, Feng MJ, Wang B, Zhao X, Guo RX, Bu YQ, Zhang SH, Chen JQ (2020) Distribution and potential risk assessment of antibiotic pollution in the main drinking water sources of Nanjing, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(17):21429–21441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08516-7
Luo X, Zhang WL, Yuan LX, Xu M, He L, Jiang YF, Zhong WZ, Zhang Y (2019) Correlation between resistance genes and microbial community in polluted rivers. China Environ Sci 39(6):2606–2613. https://doi.org/10.19674/j.cnki.issn1000-6923.2019.0310
Mohammed H, Aladdin et al (2017) Recent updates of carbapenem antibiotics. Eur J Med Chem Chimie Therapeutique 131(5):185–195
Peaper DR, Kulkarni MV, Tichy AN et al (2013) Rapid detection of carbapenemase activity through monitoring ertapenem hydrolysis in Enterobacteriaceae with LC-MS/MS. Bioanalysis 5(2):147–157. https://doi.org/10.4155/bio.12.310
Phan TPH, Managaki S, Nakada N, Takada H, Shimizu A, Anh DH, Viet PH, Suzuki S (2011) Antibiotic contamination and occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments of northern Vietnam. Sci Total Environ 409(15):2894–2901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.04.030
Pruden A, Arabi M, Storteboom HN (2012) Correlation between upstream human activities and riverine antibiotic resistance genes. Environ Sci Technol 46(21):11541–11549. https://doi.org/10.1021/es302657r
Qi WY, Hui W, Hong LS et al (2010) Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Enterobacteriaceae with decreased susceptibility to carbapenems: results from large hospital-based surveillance studies in China. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 54(1):573–577. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01099-09
Qiu WH, Sun J, Fang MJ, Luo SS, Tian YQ, Dong PY, Xu BT, Zheng CM (2018) Occurrence of antibiotics in the main rivers of Shenzhen, China: Association with antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community. Sci Total Environ 653:334–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.398
Sarmah AK, Meyer MT, Boxall ABA (2006) A global perspective on the use, sales, exposure pathways, occurrence, fate and effects of veterinary antibiotics in the environmental. Chemosphere 65:725–759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.03.026
Shen JL, Zhu DM, Wu WH (2011) Carbapenem antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane pore protein OprD_2. Chin J Infect Chemother 11(04):281–286. https://doi.org/10.16718/j.1009-7708.2011.04.004
Shi YZ (2018) Characterization of antibiotic pollution in Danjiangkou Reservoir and assessment of ecological health risks. Peking University, Beijing
Song H, Li Z, Du B, Wang G, Ding Y (2011) Bacterial communities in sediments of the shallow Lake Dongping in China. J Appl Microbiol 112:79–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.05187.x
Syberg K, Jensen TS, Cedergreen N, Rank J (2009) On the use of mixture toxicity assessment in reach and the water framework directive: a review. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 15(6):1257–1272. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807030903304922
Tran NH, Hoang L, Nghiem LD, Nguyen NMH, Ngo HH, Guo WS, Trinh QH, Mai NH, Chen HT, Nguyen DD, Ta TT, Gin KY (2019) Occurrence and risk assessment of multiple classes of antibiotics in urban canals and lakes in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sci Total Environ 692:157–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.092
Wang YQ (2020) Distribution characteristics of typical antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community in Ebinur Lake Basin. Jinan: Shandong Normal University. https://doi.org/10.27280/d.cnki.gsdsu.2020.001969
Wang Y, Zhang RM, Li JY, Wu ZW, et al (2017) Comprehensive resistome analysis reveals the prevalence of NDM and mcr-1 in Chinese poultry production. Journal of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, 2(6). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.260
Wang ZY, Chen QW, Zhang JY, Guan TS, Chen YC, Shi WQ (2020) Critical roles of cyanobacteria as reservoir and source for antibiotic resistance genes. Environ Int 144:106034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106034
Xu MJ, Huang HT, Li N, Li F, Wang DH, Luo Q (2019) Occurrence and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and pesticides in typical surface watersheds, China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 175:289–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.01.131
Xu LY, Zhang H, Xiong P, Zhu QQ, Liao CY, Jiang GB (2021) Occurrence, fate, and risk assessment of typical tetracycline antibiotics in the aquatic environment: A review. Sci Total Environ 753:141975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141975
Yan MT, Xu C, Huang YM, Nie HY, Wang J (2018) Tetracyclines, sulfonamides and quinolones and their corresponding resistance genes in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. Sci Total Environ 03:840–848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.085
Yang Y (1990) Biochemical characterization of a β-lactamase that hydrolyzes penems and carbapenems from two Serratia marcescens isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 34:755–758
Yang LH, Ying GG, Su HC, Stauber LS, Adams MS, Binet MT (2008) Growth-inhibiting effects of 12 antibacterial agents and their mixtures on the freshwater microalga pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. Environ Toxicol Chem 27(5):1201–1208. https://doi.org/10.1897/07-471.1
Yao LL, Wang YX, Tong L, Deng YM, Li YG, Guo W, Dong CJ, Duan YH, Zhao K (2017) Occurrence and risk assessment of antibiotics in surface water and groundwater from different depths of aquifers: A case study at Jianghan Plain, central China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 135:236–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2016.10.006
Zhang Y (2012) Study on microbial diversity and anammox bacteria identification in lake sediments. Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan
Zhang Q, Xin Q, Zhu JM, Cheng JP (2014) The antibiotic contaminations in the main water bodies in China and the associated environmental and human health impacts. Environ Chem 33(7):1075–1083. https://doi.org/10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2014.07.001
Zhang QQ, Ying GG, Pan CG, Liu YS, Zhao L (2015) Comprehensive evaluation of antibiotics emission and fate in the river basins of China: Source analysis, multimedia modeling, and linkage to bacterial resistance. Environ Sci Technol 49(11):6772–6782. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b00729
Zhao FQ, Gao H, Li RJ, Jin SC, Zhang HB, Li SS, Zhang KY, Shu Q, Na GS (2022) Occurrences and risk assessment of antibiotics in water bodies of major rivers in Bohai Rim Basin. China Environ Sci 42(1):109–118. https://doi.org/10.19674/j.cnki.issn1000-6923.20211012.010
Zhou P, Sun YY, Sun Y (2010) Advances in safety and bacterial resistance of carbapenems. Pharm J 29(06):750–754
Zhou ZH, Zhao JL, Wei XD, Liu MS (2017) Co-occurrence and ecological risk of antibiotics in surface water of Guangzhou section of Pearl River. Ecol Environ Sci 26(6):1034–1041. https://doi.org/10.16258/j.cnki.1674-5906.2017.06.017
Zhu TT, Song ZF, Yin KH, Peng SH (2014) Study on current situation and health risk of antibiotics residue in source water of Xili Reservoir in Shenzhen. Environ Pollut Control 36(5):49–53. https://doi.org/10.15985/j.cnki.1001-3865.2014.05.013
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Shanghai Innovation Action Plans (20230742500, 22ZR1464200, 22230712900), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51961145106, 42072281), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (22120210576), and the Top Discipline Plan of Shanghai Universities-Class I (2022-3-YB-03).
Funding
This study was funded by the Shanghai Innovation Action Plans (20230742500, 22ZR1464200, 22230712900), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51961145106, 42072281), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (22120210576), and the Top Discipline Plan of Shanghai Universities-Class I (2022–3-YB-03).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Shuguang Liu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software. Xin Li: Data curation, Writing-Original Draft. Sha Lou: Methodology, Writing-review & editing. Qiuhong Xu: Investigation. Yuchen Jin: Writing-review & editing. Radnaeva Larisa Dorzhievna: Investigation. Nikitina Elena: Investigation. Makhinov Aleksei Nikolavich: Methodology, Writing- Reviewing & Editing. Araruna José Tavares: Writing-Reviewing & Editing. Fedorova Irina Viktorovna: Writing-Reviewing & Editing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval
This study does not involve any ethical issues.
Consent to participate
All authors have read and approved this version of the article, and due care has been taken to ensure the integrity of the work.
Consent to publish
All authors have agreed to publish.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Ester Heath
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, S., Li, X., Lou, S. et al. Occurrence of sulfonamides and tetracyclines in the coastal areas of the Yangtze River (China) Estuary. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 118567–118587 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30698-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30698-z