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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202291
Title: Occurrence of Antibiotics and Hormones in a Major Agricultural Watershed

Author
item ARIKAN, OSMAN - ISTANBUL TECH UNIV
item Rice, Clifford
item Codling, Eton

Submitted to: International Conference on Diffuse Pollution
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2007
Publication Date: 1/15/2008
Citation: Arikan, O., Rice, C., Codling, E.E. 2008. Occurrence of Antibiotics and Hormones in a Major Agricultural Watershed. International Conference on Diffuse Pollution. 226:121-131.

Interpretive Summary: Antibiotics and hormones are frequently found near animal feeding operations. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of antibiotics and hormones in an agricultural watershed and to determine the seasonal variability of these contaminants. Water samples were collected from 15 subwatershed stations and 7 stations on the major receiving river, Choptank, Maryland, USA over four different seasons (April, June, September and December). This area of Maryland is predominantly agricultural. Antibiotics (sulfathiazole, sulfamerazine, sulfamethizole, sulfamethazine, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxcycline) and hormones (estriol, estradiol, 17'-ethynylestradiol, estrone, testosterone and progesterone) as well as feed additive metal of arsenic were determined in these water samples. In addition, the same antibiotics were analyzed in one set of sediment samples. This study indicates that agriculture may serve as a source of antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment.

Technical Abstract: Antibiotics and hormones are considered emerging environmental microcontaminants because of their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Available information on the source of these emerging contaminants in surface waters is very limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of antibiotics and hormones in an agricultural watershed and to determine the seasonal variability of these contaminants. Water samples were collected from 15 subwatershed stations and 7 stations on the major receiving river, Choptank, Maryland, USA over four different seasons (April, June, September and December). Antibiotics (sulfathiazole, sulfamerazine, sulfamethizole, sulfamethazine, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxcycline) and hormones (estriol, estradiol, 17'-ethynylestradiol, estrone, testosterone and progesterone) as well as feed additive metal of arsenic were determined in these water samples. In addition, the same antibiotics were analyzed in one set of sediment samples. This study indicates that agriculture may serve as a source of antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment.