The Effect of Clarithromycin Toxicity on the Growth of Bacterial Communities in Agricultural Soils

Abstract

The presence of antibiotics in different environmental matrices is a growing concern. The introduction of antibiotics into the soil is mainly due to sewage treatment plants. Once in the soil, antibiotics may become toxic to microbial communities and, as a consequence, can pose a risk to the environment and human health. This study evaluates the potential toxicity of the antibiotic clarithromycin (CLA) in relation to the bacterial community of 12 soils with different characteristics. Bacterial community growth was evaluated in soils spiked in the laboratory with different concentrations of CLA after 1, 8, and 42 incubation days. The results indicated that the addition of clarithromycin to the soil may cause toxicity in the bacterial communities of the soil. In addition, it was observed that toxicity decreases between 1 and 8 incubation days, while the bacterial community recovers completely in most soils after 42 incubation days. The results also show that soil pH and effective cation exchange capacity may influence CLA toxicity.

Microbial Communities as Affected by Clarithromycin Addition in Four Acid Soils (NW Iberian Peninsula)

“…The review clearly evidences that the response of microorganisms to the presence of these compounds measured by means of different parameters related to their mass, activity, and diversity (microbial C, total PLFA biomass and specific microbial groups PLFA biomass, soil respiration, bacterial growth, soil enzymes, microbial community structure), were variable; thus, although a negative temporal effect was often observed on microorganisms living in the soil, non effect, or even a positive effect, could also be detected. This is in agreement with recent investigations conducted by our research group performed with acid agricultural soils located in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) added with antibiotics of different groups (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, fluorquinones, penicillins, cephalosphorine, diaminopyridine, β-lactams) (Santás-Miguel et al, 2020a;Santás-Miguel et al, 2020b;Santás-Miguel et al, 2020c;Rodríguez-González et al, 2021;Santás-Miguel et al, 2021;Rodríguez-González et al, 2022;Santás-Miguel et al, 2022;Rodríguez-González et al, 2023).…”

“…Clarithromycin is one of the most frequently prescribed macrolides in human medicine, therefore environmental risk investigations about the presence of this compound in soils are necessary (McLaughlin and Belknap, 2008;Baumann et al, 2015;Senta et al, 2019;Aydin et al, 2022). Recently, we examined the bacterial growth of 12 agricultural soils, both with no additions and with the addition of increasing concentrations of clarithromycin over time (1, 8, and 42 incubation days) (Rodríguez-González et al, 2021). In general, the data showed an initial inhibitory (toxic) effect which disappeared over time; however, in some cases, surprisingly, bacterial growth rates reached values higher than those in the corresponding unpolluted soil after 42 days of incubation.…”

Special Issue on “Soil and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions”

“…On the other hand, there are contamination studies of metals ("Influence of Physicochemical Properties and Parent Material on Chromium Fractionation in Soil" [14] and "Monitoring, Diffusion and Source Speculation Model of Urban Soil Pollution" [15] as well as emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, including the work of Conde-Cid et al [16] "Tetracycline and Sulfonamide Antibiotics in Soils: Presence, Fate and Environmental Risks" and Rodríguez González et al [17] "The of Clarithromycin Toxicity on the Growth of Bacterial Communities in Agricultural Soils".…”