Fractionation and analysis of veterinary antibiotics and their related degradation products in agricultural soils and drainage waters following swine manure amendment

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2016-02, Vol.543 (Pt A), p.524-535
• Main Authors: Solliec, Morgan, Roy-Lachapelle, Audrey, Gasser, Marc-Olivier, Coté, Caroline, Généreux, Mylène, Sauvé, Sébastien
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Antibiotics; Biocompatibility; Degradation; Drainage; Drainage waters; Environmental Monitoring; Fertilizers - analysis; LC–HRMS; Manure; Metabolites; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soils; Swine; Veterinary; Veterinary antibiotics; Veterinary Drugs - analysis
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.11.061

The fate of antimicrobial active compound residues in the environment, and especially antibiotics used in swine husbandry are of particular interest for their potential toxicity and contribution to antibiotic resistance. The presence of relatively high concentrations of bioactive compounds has been reported in agricultural areas but few information is available on their degradation products. Veterinary antibiotics reach terrestrial environments through many routes, including application of swine manure to soils. The objectives of this project were first, to develop an analytical method able to quantify and identify veterinary antibiotics and their degradation products in manure, soil and water samples; and second, to study the distribution of these target compounds in soils and drainage waters. A brief evaluation of their potential toxicity in the environment was also made. In order to achieve these objectives, liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for its ability to quantify contaminants with sensitivity and selectivity, and its capacity to identify degradation products. Samples of manure, soil and water came from a long-term experimental site where swine manure containing veterinary antibiotics has been applied for many years. In this study, tetracycline antibiotics were found at several hundred μgL−1 in the swine manure slurry used for fertilization, several hundred of ngL−1 in drainage waters and several ngg−1 in soils, while degradation products were sometimes found at concentrations higher than the parent compounds. [Display omitted] •Veterinary antibiotics were analyzed in soils, drainage waters and swine manure.•Veterinary antibiotics were quantified using high-resolution mass spectrometry.•Degradation products of tetracyclines were identified and semi-quantified.•A study of the behavior of these residues in the agricultural area was proposed.