Spatio-temporal distribution and source identification of antibiotics in suspended matter in the Fen River Basin

Ruimin Liu; Yunan Wang; Linfang Wang; Yifan Wang; Xinyuan Peng; Leiping Cao; Yue Liu

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140497

Spatio-temporal distribution and source identification of antibiotics in suspended matter in the Fen River Basin

Chemosphere. 2023 Dec:345:140497. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140497. Epub 2023 Oct 20.

Authors

Ruimin Liu¹, Yunan Wang², Linfang Wang³, Yifan Wang⁴, Xinyuan Peng⁵, Leiping Cao⁶, Yue Liu⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: liurm@bnu.edu.cn.
² State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: 202121180042@mail.bnu.edu.cn.
³ Sorghum Research Institute, Shanxi Agricultural University/Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.238, Yuhuaxi Street, Jinzhong, 030600, China. Electronic address: wanglfsx@foxmail.com.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: yf.wang@mail.bnu.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: 202211180037@mail.bnu.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: caolp@mail.bnu.edu.cn.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: 201911180120@mail.bnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37866500
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140497

Abstract

In this study, 26 typical antibiotics in the suspended matter of the Fen River basin were analyzed during the wet and dry seasons, and the main sources of antibiotic contamination were further identified. The results showed that the concentrations of antibiotics in the suspended matter varied seasonally. Sixteen antibiotics were detected in the suspended matter during the wet season with an average concentration of 463.56 ng/L. However, a total of 21 antibiotics were detected in the dry season, with an average concentration of 106.00 ng/L. The concentration of chloramphenicol antibiotics was outstanding in the wet season and dry season. The spatial distribution of the antibiotics in suspended matter showed little spatial discrepancy during the wet season. During the dry season, nevertheless, the concentration was higher upstream than midstream and downstream. The main sources of antibiotics in the Fen River Basin were livestock and poultry breeding, wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), agricultural drainage, domestic sewage, and pharmaceutical wastewater. Wastewater from WWTPs and domestic sewage were identified as two primary sources in the suspended matter during the wet season, with wastewater from WWTPs contributing the most accounting for 37%. While the most significant source of antibiotics in the suspended matter in the dry season was pharmaceutical wastewater, accounting for 36%. In addition, the contribution proportion of sources for antibiotics exhibited discrepant spatial distribution characteristics. In the wet season, wastewater from WWTPs dominated in the upstream and midstream, and livestock and poultry breeding was prominent in the midstream and downstream. Pharmaceutical wastewater was the main source in the midstream and downstream regions during the dry season.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Positive matrix factorization model; Seasonal variation; Source identification; Suspended matter.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / analysis
China
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Seasons
Sewage / analysis
Wastewater*
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Wastewater
Sewage
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Pharmaceutical Preparations