Human-use antibacterial residues in the natural environment of China: implication for ecopharmacovigilance

Abstract

Antibacterial residues in the natural environment have been of increasing concern due to their impact on bacteria resistance development and toxicity to natural communities and ultimately to public health. China is a large country with high production and consumption of antibacterials for its population growth and economic development in recent years. In this article, we summarized the current situation of human-use antibacterial pollution in Chinese water (wastewaters, natural and drinking waters) and solid matrices (sludge, sediment, and soil) reported in 33 peer-reviewed papers. We found that, although there are adequate wastewater treatment systems in China, human-use antibacterial residues in the natural environment were reported almost throughout the whole country. Three most frequently prescribed classes of antibacterials in China, including quinolones, macrolides, and β-lactam, were also the predominant classes of residues in Chinese environment, manifested as the high concentration and detection frequency. In view of this alarming situation, we have presented that ecopharmacovigilance (EPV) might be implemented in the antibacterial drug administration of China, as the active participation of the pharmaceutical industry and drug regulatory authorities from the diffuse source of antibacterial pollution. Considering EPV experience of developed countries together with the actual conditions of China, we have identified some approaches that can be taken, including:• Focus on education;• Further strengthening and persevering the antibacterial stewardship strategies and pharmaceutical take-back programs in China;• Designing greener antibacterials with better degradability in the environment;• Implementing environmental risk assessment prior to launch of new drugs;• Strengthening collaboration in EPV-related areas.

Occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance and virulence genes in avian Escherichia coli isolates from Algeria

“…Several foods and environmental sources harbor bacteria that are resistant to quinolone or fluoroquinolone antibiotics used in human or veterinary medicine and in the production of food animals [6,7,9,23,24].…”

“…Quinolones have been used on farms to treat and prevent diseases in animals [8,9]. They are also used extensively in sub-therapeutic doses to promote growth and increase body weight by improving feed utilization.…”

Attitudes and Practice Regarding Disposal for Unwanted Medications among Young Adults and Elderly People in China from an Ecopharmacovigilance Perspective

“…To date, pharmaceuticals as a kind of emerging contaminant in the natural environment have caused concern among environmental and health researchers because of their ubiquitous occurrence and intrinsic biological/toxicological activities [1,2,3,4]. The presence of a great diversity of commonly used pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antidiabetics, hypotensive drugs, hormones and antidepressants, have been frequently reported to be detected in the environment, including water, sediments, soil, etc., even in the food chain through crop growth and irrigation [3,4,5,6]. Due to their high volume of use, their continuous introduction into the environment, and the lack of effective removal of pharmaceutical residues from the environment, pharmaceuticals have been referred to as pseudo-persistent contaminants [1,7].…”

“…In fact, an increasing amount of evidence has shown the negative impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment on ecosystems, even on human health via indirect exposure. For example, long-term exposure to antibiotic residues in the environment contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and/or genes [4,8]. The veterinary use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, and subsequent food-chain exposure, trigger the near extinction of several Asian Gyps vulture species [7].…”

Antimicrobials and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Remediation: A Global One Health Perspective

“…While there are studies which look into only one of the many non-aquatic or aquatic compartments of the environment, there are many studies that cover both these types encompassing a composite environment. For example, water and plants [28], water and sand [24], wastewaters, natural and drinking waters and solid matrices such as sludge, sediment, and soil [8,29].…”