Antibiotics in the Environment

1
Antibiotics in the Environment

• Andrew Wolf
• MB 433

2
What well cover

• Sources
• Extent
• Effects
• Duration
• Elimination
• Solutions

3
Sources

• Q What is the greatest source of antibiotic
  contamination of the environment?

4
Sources

• Q What is the greatest source of antibiotic
  contamination of the environment?
• A Human and animal waste.
• Most antibiotics pass through the body virtually
  unaltered and are released into waste, soil,
  surface and ground waters.

5
Sources

• Other sources include hospital waste as well as
  common household items such as soaps,
  disinfectants, and cleaners.

6
Extent

• Wastewater treatment plants do little to remove
  or destroy antibiotics before they are released
  into the environment
• Antibiotics from animal waste may enter the soil
  and nearby water sources, or may find themselves
  in manure used to fertilize crops.

7
(No Transcript)
8
Extent

• In the year 2000 the US produced approximately
  16,200 tons of antibiotics.
• 70 of this was used in livestock.
• Less than 10 was used in human medicine.
• Total antibiotic consumption world-wide is
  estimated between 100,000 and 200,000 tons.

9
Effects

• Exposure of microbes to low concentrations of
  antibiotics selects for resistant strains.
• Crops exposed to antibiotic contaminated water or
  manure provide both the antibiotics and resistant
  bacteria direct access to humans and animals.

10
Duration

• Antibiotics can be degraded by both environmental
  factors such as heat and light as well as by
  microbes able to degrade specific compounds.
• However antibiotics can also readily be absorbed
  into surrounding soils and sediments making them
  less accessible to most factors which degrade
  them.

11
Elimination

• Most antibiotics are able to persist in the
  environment for long periods of time.
• Antibiotics can be toxic to degrading strains of
  bacteria even in low concentrations.

12
Elimination
13
Solutions

• Q What can be done about the spread of
  antibiotics in the environment?

14
Solutions

• Q What can be done about the spread of
  antibiotics in the environment?
• A The simplest solution is to stop or at least
  slow the widespread use of antibiotics.

15
Solutions

• Proper disposal of medical waste.
• Responsible use of antibiotics in livestock.
• Soap is already antibacterial.