The toxic effect of oxytetracycline and trimethoprim in the aquatic environment

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 115; pp. 75 - 80
• Main Authors: Kolar, Boris, Arnuš, Lovro, Jeretin, Bogdana, Gutmaher, Aleš, Drobne, Damjana, Durjava, Mojca Kos
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Activated sludge; Algae; Anabaena; Anabaena flos-aquae - drug effects; Anabaena flos-aquae - physiology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - toxicity; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorophyta - drug effects; Chlorophyta - physiology; Cyanobacteria; Daphnia - drug effects; Daphnia - physiology; Daphnia magna; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General purification processes; Oxytetracycline; Oxytetracycline - toxicity; Pollution; Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata; Toxic; Toxicity; Toxicology; Trimethoprim; Trimethoprim - toxicity; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water treatment and pollution; Oxytetracycline; Trimethoprim; Activated sludge; Algae; Cyanobacteria; Drug; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Tetracycline derivatives; Chlorophyceae; Selenastrum capricornutum; Biological purification; Aquatic environment; Antibiotic; Chlorophyta; Anabaena flosaquae; Emerging pollutant; Bacteria; Pyrimidine derivatives; Antiinfectious; Antibacterial agent; Waste water purification
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.02.049

The objective of our study was the investigation of the toxic properties of two antimicrobial drugs: oxytetracycline (OTC) and trimethoprim (TMP) in the aquatic environment. The toxic effects were tested according to the OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals, on the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aque, on the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, on the daphnid Daphnia magna as well as on the activated sludge. We discussed the short term and long term results of tests on cyanobacteria and microalgae. Both experiments were concluded in 72h allowing direct comparison of sensitivity of the two tested species. The results of our study showed toxic effect in the same range for both groups. In the test on the toxicity of OTC to P. subcapitata we obtained the 72hErC50 of 1.04mgL−1 (72hErC10 0.47mgL−1) which are lower in comparison to the results on the toxicity to A. flos-aque of ErC50 of 2.7mgL−1 (72hErC101.5mgL−1). TMP is less toxic to both photosynthetic plankton species. Similar to the test results on OTC, the P. subcapitata is more sensitive to TMP (ErC50129mgL−1; ErC1065mgL−1) than A. flos-aque (72hErC50253mgL−1; 72hErC1026mgL−1). OTC is toxic to the activated sludge (3hEC50 17.9mgL−1), while the calculated 3hEC50 value for TMP exceeded solubility for the compound. In comparison to other species, both tested antimicrobials showed low toxicity to daphnids.