Antibiotic contaminants in sediments of the Pejagan River Waters, Bangkalan Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Antibiotics are drugs used to treat diseases caused by bacterial infections in both humans and livestock. These antibiotic residues can accumulate in aquatic sediments that receive input from domestic residential waste. This study aims to examine the content of antibiotic residues present in the sediments of the Pejagan River waters in Bangkalan Regency. The research method used was purposive sampling at three sampling locations: the river area upstream of the hospital, the river area within a densely populated residential zone, and the river estuary in Pangeranan. The results showed that 11 types of antibiotic residues were found, with the highest number, 9 types detected at station 2. Four types of antibiotic residues were found at all stations: Ciprofloxacin (191.43–351.69 ng/g), Amoxicillin (114.97–265.85 ng/g), Levofloxacin (106.68–176.45 ng/g), and Tetracycline (38.46–75.77 ng/g). There is a need for efforts to control antibiotic waste entering the waters by regulating antibiotic usage among the community.