Use, fate and ecological risks of antibiotics applied in tilapia cage farming in Thailand

Andreu Rico; Rhaul Oliveira; Sakchai McDonough; Arrienne Matser; Jidapa Khatikarn; Kriengkrai Satapornvanit; António J A Nogueira; Amadeu M V M Soares; Inês Domingues; Paul J Van den Brink

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.002

Use, fate and ecological risks of antibiotics applied in tilapia cage farming in Thailand

Environ Pollut. 2014 Aug:191:8-16. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.002. Epub 2014 May 5.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: andreu.rico@wur.nl.
² Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
³ Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
⁴ Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak 10900, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁶ Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak 10900, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁷ Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 24780637
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.002

Abstract

The use, environmental fate and ecological risks of antibiotics applied in tilapia cage farming were investigated in the Tha Chin and Mun rivers in Thailand. Information on antibiotic use was collected through interviewing 29 farmers, and the concentrations of the most commonly used antibiotics, oxytetracycline (OTC) and enrofloxacin (ENR), were monitored in river water and sediment samples. Moreover, we assessed the toxicity of OTC and ENR on tropical freshwater invertebrates and performed a risk assessment for aquatic ecosystems. All interviewed tilapia farmers reported to routinely use antibiotics. Peak water concentrations for OTC and ENR were 49 and 1.6 μg/L, respectively. Antibiotics were most frequently detected in sediments with concentrations up to 6908 μg/kg d.w. for OTC, and 2339 μg/kg d.w. for ENR. The results of this study indicate insignificant short-term risks for primary producers and invertebrates, but suggest that the studied aquaculture farms constitute an important source of antibiotic pollution.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Aquaculture; Ecological risk assessment; Thailand; Tilapia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage*
Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
Anti-Bacterial Agents / poisoning
Aquaculture / methods*
Ecosystem
Rivers / chemistry*
Thailand
Tilapia*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / poisoning

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Water Pollutants, Chemical