The Current Status and Prevention of Antibiotic Pollution in Groundwater in China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 7;19(18):11256. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811256.

Abstract

The problem of environmental pollution caused by the abuse of antibiotics has received increasing attention. However, only in recent years have antibiotic pollution and its risk assessment to the environment been deeply studied. Although there has been a large number of reports about the input, occurrence, destination, and influence of antibiotics in the past 10 years, systemic knowledge of antibiotics in the groundwater environment is still lacking. This review systematically expounds the sources, migration and transformation, pollution status, and potential risks to the ecological environment of antibiotics in groundwater systems, by integrating 10 years of existing research results. The results showed that 47 kinds of antibiotics in four categories, mainly sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones, have been detected; antibiotics in groundwater species will induce the production of resistance genes and cause ecological harm. In view of the entire process of antibiotics entering groundwater, the current antibiotic control methods at various levels are listed, including the control of the discharge of antibiotics at source, the removal of antibiotics in water treatment plants, and the treatment of existing antibiotic contamination in groundwater. Additionally, the future research direction of antibiotics in groundwater is pointed out, and suggestions and prospects for antibiotic control are put forward.

Keywords: antibiotics; groundwater; occurrence.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / analysis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • Groundwater*
  • Sulfonamides
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • Sulfonamides
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51308009 and No. 51678006), Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (BJJWZYJH01201910005019), the Scientific and Technological Research Program of Beijing Municipal Education Commission project (KM201510005021), and the Science and technology innovation fund project of Beijing University of Technology—“Urban carbon neutralization” (047000514122632).