Occurrence of antimicrobials in surface and wastewater in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro: an environmental and public health vulnerability issue

• Autor(a) principal: Branco, Neusa Maria Castelo
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Pereira , Mararlene Ulberg, Ferreira, Rosana Gomes, Spisso, Bernardete Ferraz, Albert, André Luís Mazzei, Romão, Célia Maria Carvalho Pereira Araujo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/19000
• topic: Antimicrobianos; Águas residuais; Águas superficiais.; Antimicrobianos; Aguas residuales; Aguas superficiales.; Antimicrobials; Wastewater; Surface water.

Conventional water and wastewater treatment processes, when they exist, are not efficient for drug removal and residues of various types of antimicrobials have been found in surface and wastewater. The presence of these substances in the aquatic environment is a serious concern worldwide, as it can lead to the emergence of resistance to antibiotics, reducing or even preventing their therapeutic effect. This study investigated the occurrence of representatives of two groups of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones and sulfonamides) in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents and in surface waters receiving effluent discharge. The results indicated that the concentrations of the three analytes identified in the effluents - ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NOR) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) - ranged from <100 (ng/mL) to >100 ng/mL and the antimicrobials CIP and SMZ occurred more frequently and at higher concentrations. Therefore, studies on the occurrence of drugs in the environment should be expanded, their effects should be investigated, and treatment systems should be improved and made more efficient to minimize these contaminants.