β-Lactam antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in Asian lakes and rivers: An overview of contamination, sources and detection methods

Lakes and rivers are sources of livelihood, food and water in many parts of the world. Lakes provide natural resources and valuable ecosystem services. These aquatic ecosystems are also vulnerable to known and new environmental pollutants. Emerging water contaminants are now being studied including antibiotics because of the global phenomenon on antibiotic resistance. beta-Lactam antibiotics are widely used in human and animal disease prevention or treatment. The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a public health threat when bacteria become more resistant and infections consequently increase requiring treatment using last resort drugs that are more expensive. This review summarizes the key findings on the occurrence, contamination sources, and determination of beta-lactam antibiotics and beta-lactam antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in the Asian lake and river waters. The current methods in the analytical measurements of beta-lactam antibiotics in water involving solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry are discussed. Also described is the determination of antibiotic resistance genes which is primarily based on a polymerase chain reaction method. To date, beta-lactam antibiotics in the Asian aquatic environments are reported in the ng/L concentrations. Studies on blactam resistant bacteria and resistance genes were mostly conducted in China. The occurrence of these emerging contaminants is largely uncharted because many aquatic systems in the Asian region remain to be studied. Comprehensive investigations encompassing the environmental behavior of beta-lactam antibiotics, emergence of resistant bacteria, transfer of resistance genes to non-resistant bacteria, multiple antibiotic resistance, and effects on aquatic biota are needed particularly in rivers and akes that are eventual sinks of these water contaminants. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article summarizes the research on beta-lactam antibiotics and beta-lactam antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in Asian lake and river waters. It discusses methods for analyzing these antibiotics in water and the need for comprehensive investigations regarding their impact on aquatic biota. Studies have shown the presence of beta-lactam antibiotics in ng/L concentrations in Asian aquatic environments, but more research is needed in this area.