Sewerage surveillance tracking characteristics of human antibiotic emission in sewage

Antibiotics discharging are causing the concerns of public health and sustainable production. Further policies on antibiotic production and antibiotic sales are difficult to make when lacking of sewage surveillance. In this study, the dynamic occurrence of 24 typical antibiotics in urban sewerage was investigated throughout a whole year. It was found that 17 of 42 samples had a total antibiotic concentration of more than 1000 ng/L. Sulfonamides, lincosamides, macrolides and tetracyclines were the four most common antibiotic categories in sewerage system, with the average concentration of 1246 ng/L, 2418 ng/L, 1734 ng/L and 1140 ng/L, respectively. The concentration of beta-lactams was relatively low in the raw sewage (with the median value of 11 ng/L) and exhibited a tendency of attenuation in sewerage due to its degradability. The total concentration of antibiotics in sewage in different quarters were positively correlated with the dosage of antibiotics prescribed by local hospitals (R = 0.88, p < 0.01). The antibiotics profiles were also determined by the local regional discharge, specific seasons and weather features. Antibiotics consumption significantly affects the level of antibiotic residues in sewage, indicating that sewage surveillance can provide rough information on antibiotic usage. These findings can lead to new ways to understand the actual antibiotic usage in humans, and guide the antibiotic production and usage based on sewage surveillance.

Automated summary

This study investigated the dynamic occurrence of 24 typical antibiotics in urban sewerage throughout a whole year. It was found that a significant number of samples had a high concentration of antibiotics, with sulfonamides, lincosamides, macrolides, and tetracyclines being the most common categories. The concentration of beta-lactams showed a tendency of attenuation in sewerage due to its degradability. The study also revealed a positive correlation between the total concentration of antibiotics in sewage and the dosage prescribed by local hospitals, indicating that sewage surveillance can provide valuable information on antibiotic usage.