Veterinary pharmaceuticals and antibiotics in manure and slurry and their fate in amended agricultural soils: Findings from an experimental field site (Baix Empordà, NE Catalonia)

Abstract

The fate and transport of 34 veterinary pharmaceuticals (PhACs) is investigated in swine slurry and dairy cattle manure-amended agricultural soils, from an experimental field site, by using both analytical and modelled data. Potential differences on PhACs fate, attributed to the application of distinct swine slurry fractions (total, solid, and liquid), are herein assessed for the first time. Surface and deep soil layers, up to a depth of 120 cm, were analyzed at different periods after an annual fertilization event. Using input data representing typical agricultural soil conditions and the PhACs concentration measured in organic fertilizers the transport of these pollutants was modelled for a period of 10 years, including the monitored annual fertilization event. Fluoroquinolone, tetracycline and pleuromutilin antibiotics, together with anti-helmintics and analgesic and anti-inflammatories, were detected in manure-amended soils, at average concentrations ranging from 0.078 to 150 µg/kg dw in surface layers, with the highest levels found in the fields fertilized with the swine slurry solid fraction. Even though severe disagreements were observed between experimental and simulated PhACs concentrations along the soil column, both approaches pointed out that target compounds strongly adsorb onto surface layers, showing limited mobility along the soil profile. Thus, repeated manure and slurry fertilizations will contribute in building up persistent PhACs residues in the uppermost layers of the soil, while leaching will be a minor process governing their fate towards the subsurface. The ecotoxicological risks posed by the occurrence of PhACs in soils were estimated to be low for terrestrial organisms. Nevertheless the antibiotic enrofloxacin showed some potential to induce negative effects to crops.

Approach to the Dynamic of Carbamazepine and its Main Metabolites in Soil Contamination through the Reuse of Wastewater and Sewage Sludge

“…Soil 2 showed the lowest adsorption capacity, followed by soil 1 and soil 3, in that order. This could be related to the high amount of sand (74%) and low organic matter (0.58%) of the soil 2, which facilities the permeability and leaching of these pollutants as it was described previously [10,17,23,24]. In the case of soil 1 (24.6% of sand and 0.91% of organic matter), the adsorptions measured were in the ranges 84-90%, 44-58%, 27-44%, and 12-33% for 3OH-CBZ, CBZ, EP-CBZ and 10OH-CBZ, respectively.…”

Development of a test method for transformation of veterinary pharmaceuticals and biocides in anaerobic liquid manure

“…3 German Environment Agency, Unit IV 2.2 Pharmaceuticals and Nanomaterials, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany. 4 Institute for Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Justus Liebig University, 35392 Giessen, Germany. 5 Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSI-CHT, 46047 Oberhausen, Germany.…”

“…[2,3]). After manure storage, VMPs and biocides enter the environment when manure is spread onto agricultural soils for fertilization purposes [4,5]. For authorization of VMPs and biocides, an environmental impact assessment is required.…”

Detection, occurrence, and fate of emerging contaminants in agricultural environments (2020)

“…Somewhat surprisingly, TBD was also detected in tap water at concentrations up to 0.7 ng/L in water supply districts of Shanghai (Liu, Yin, & Wu, 2019). Gros et al (2019) investigated the fate and transport of 34 veterinary pharmaceuticals, in swine slurry and dairy cattle manure-amended agricultural soils, from an experimental field site. FLU mostly partitioned onto swine slurry's solid fraction (approximately 90%).…”