Physical interactions of antibiotics and metabolites with solids: elucidating fate, transportation and mitigation methods

Authors: Stromer, Bobbi; Woodbury, Bryan; Williams, Clinton

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Common livestock antibiotics can promote antibiotic resistance in the environment. After administration to livestock, antibiotics and their metabolites collect in wastewater ponds before being released into the environment when used for crop irrigation. Tylosin, chlorotetracycline, and their respective metabolites were characterized for their sorption to diatomite, clay and humic acids. These sorption studies provided valuable information about the physical processes responsible for sorption to different solids surfaces in the environment. For example, tylosin sorption to amorphous diatomite was found to be due to electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions. The reversibility of binding was dependent upon the characteristics of the solids and antibiotics tested. Tylosin reversibly sorbed to humic acid and amorphous diatomite, irreversibly sorbed to clay and did not sorb to crystalline diatomite at all. Results from these studies improved our understanding of tylosin’s interaction in the natural systems and provided valuable information for designing mitigation methods for removing antibiotics and their metabolites from wastewater for overall reduction in environmental stress.