Distribution and Toxic Effects of Antibiotics on Impacted Inland and Coastal Waters
5 affiliations
- 1Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, C/ Jordi Girona, 18–26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- 2Doctoral Program in Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Science, Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- 3VISAFELab Laboratory, Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, IATA-CSIC, 46980 Valencia, Spain
- 4Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- 5Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail Maisons-Alfort (ANSES), 14 rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Abstract
Antibiotics are among the most significant medical discoveries of the 20th century. However, their extensive use and persistence in the environment have contributed to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, causing increasing global concern. This study investigates the occurrence of antibiotics in aquatic environments to assess their ecological impact. Samples from rivers, seas and areas around wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Barcelona, Valencia (Spain), Paris (France) and Helsinki (Finland), areas with different anthropogenic impacts and climate conditions, were examined to determine the occurrence of antibiotics using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Target analysis focused on 18 compounds, alongside suspect screening for the identification of other drugs. The results were further analysed using multivariate statistical approaches, and ecotoxicological risk was assessed using the Hazard Quotient (HQ). Those most frequently detected and with the highest risk were sulfamethoxazole, metronidazole, azithromycin and tetracycline, with maximum concentration values of 69.6, 12.3, 119.1, and 12.6 µg/L, and maximum HQ values of 116,136, 6268, and 207, respectively. The highest concentrations occurred near WWTPs, while sea samples had the lowest concentrations. Overall, many compounds exceed environmental risk thresholds, demonstrating the need for improved removal treatments and stricter environmental regulation.
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BibTeX
@article{garciatorne2026distribution,
title = {{Distribution and Toxic Effects of Antibiotics on Impacted Inland and Coastal Waters}},
author = {Maria Garcia-Torné and Laia Hernández-Dominich and Xavier Borrell and Rachida Mazigh and Glòria Sánchez and Leena Maunula and Ankita K. Gupta and Sandra Martin-Latil and Prunelle Waldman and Marta Llorca and Marinella Farré},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31203638},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3638},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distribution and Toxic Effects of Antibiotics on Impacted Inland and Coastal Waters
AU - Maria Garcia-Torné
AU - Laia Hernández-Dominich
AU - Xavier Borrell
AU - Rachida Mazigh
AU - Glòria Sánchez
AU - Leena Maunula
AU - Ankita K. Gupta
AU - Sandra Martin-Latil
AU - Prunelle Waldman
AU - Marta Llorca
AU - Marinella Farré
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31203638
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3638
AB - Antibiotics are among the most significant medical discoveries of the 20th century. However, their extensive use and persistence in the environment have contributed to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, causing increasing global concern. This study investigates the occurrence of antibiotics in aquatic environments to assess their ecological impact. Samples from rivers, seas and areas around wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Barcelona, Valencia (Spain), Paris (France) and Helsinki (Finland), areas with different anthropogenic impacts and climate conditions, were examined to determine the occurrence of antibiotics using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Target analysis focused on 18 compounds, alongside suspect screening for the identification of other drugs. The results were further analysed using multivariate statistical approaches, and ecotoxicological risk was assessed using the Hazard Quotient (HQ). Those most frequently detected and with the highest risk were sulfamethoxazole, metronidazole, azithromycin and tetracycline, with maximum concentration values of 69.6, 12.3, 119.1, and 12.6 µg/L, and maximum HQ values of 116,136, 6268, and 207, respectively. The highest concentrations occurred near WWTPs, while sea samples had the lowest concentrations. Overall, many compounds exceed environmental risk thresholds, demonstrating the need for improved removal treatments and stricter environmental regulation.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -