The Occurrence Characteristics and Ecological Risks of Antibiotics in Surface Water and Groundwater of the Huixian Wetland

The concentrations of 17 antibiotics in the surface water and groundwater of a typical river in the Huixian Wetland were measured, and the ecological and health risks of these antibiotics to surface water and groundwater were assessed. The three types of antibiotics measured included quinolones, tetracyclines, and sulphonamides. The results showed that the mean values of the three antibiotics in surface water were sulfonamides > quinolones > tetracyclines and in groundwater were sulfonamides > tetracyclines > quinolones, and the antibiotic residues were associated with aquaculture and livestock breeding in the wetland, which indicated that antibiotics had a very high rate of use in the Huixian Wetland. The results of the ecological risk evaluation showed that the potential risk of five antibiotics, namely ofloxacin, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, enrofloxacin, and doxycycline, was high. The results of the health risk evaluation indicated that most of the residual antibiotics were of a medium and low risk to humans.