Occurrence and quantification of prevalent antibiotics in wastewater samples from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan

Release of emerging pollutants including antibiotics to the environment is a serious concern for environmentalist as well as policy makers. To explore the presence and real situation analysis, a study was conducted focusing on detection and quantification of selected antibiotics in wastewater channels of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan along with development of a simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) based method. The samples were collected in triplicates from all the main wastewater streams of the study area with potential presence of antibiotics in the wastewater coming from the surrounding industries, hospitals, drug formulation units and residential localities. Optimized method for detection and quantification was established and validated through spiked as well as real samples. The highest concentration was of Ciprofloxacin 332.154 mu g mL(-1) followed by Ofloxacin > Ampicillin > Levofloxacin > Sulfamethoxazole. The results showed the presence of antibiotics due to indiscriminate use that could lead to presence of resistant strains and thus ultimately causing the spread of antibiotic resistance. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study on the presence of antibiotics in wastewater channels in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan revealed a high concentration of antibiotics due to indiscriminate use, potentially leading to the presence of resistant strains and the spread of antibiotic resistance.