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Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat – antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination.
Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics – nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways.
As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both aquatic ecosystems and public health.
Rivers carry antibiotic residues
The flow of antibiotics through river systems remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle to eliminate these compounds effectively. Residues from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical facilities continue to infiltrate rivers, accumulating over time.
Heloisa Ehalt Macedo is a postdoctoral research fellow at McGill and lead author of the study.
“While the amounts of residues from individual antibiotics translate into only very small concentrations in most rivers, which makes them very difficult to detect, the chronic and cumulative environmental exposure to these substances can still pose a risk to human health and aquatic ecosystems,” said Macedo.
Antibiotics, rivers, and human health
Even at low concentrations, antibiotic residues disrupt aquatic life. Fish, algae, and microbial communities all face risks from chronic exposure.
The accumulation of these residues alters natural microbial diversity, potentially fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Over time, these changes ripple through ecosystems, affecting entire food webs.
Amoxicillin: A leading contaminant
Amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, emerges as the primary contaminant in rivers. Researchers utilized a global model, corroborated by data from 877 river sites, to identify hotspots of contamination.
Southeast Asia, where antibiotic use continues to rise, faces particular risk. Poor wastewater treatment facilities fail to mitigate the amoxicillin surge, allowing residues to reach dangerous levels in river systems.
Unintended environmental consequences
Antibiotics, though vital for treating infections, carry unintended environmental consequences. The researchers stress that the study does not discourage antibiotic use. Instead, it highlights the unforeseen impacts on river ecosystems.
“This study is not intended to warn about the use of antibiotics – we need antibiotics for global health treatments – but our results indicate that there may be unintended effects on aquatic environments and antibiotic resistance, which calls for mitigation and management strategies to avoid or reduce their implications,” said study co-author Bernhard Lehner.
Unaccounted sources of contamination
Livestock farms and pharmaceutical factories, major sources of antibiotic residues, remain unaccounted for in the study. Despite their exclusion, the findings reveal extensive contamination from human antibiotic consumption alone.
“Our results show that antibiotic pollution in rivers arising from human consumption alone is a critical issue, which would likely be exacerbated by veterinarian or industry sources of related compounds,” said Jim Nicell, an environmental engineering professor at McGill.
Highest river antibiotic contamination
The consequences of antibiotic pollution do not spread evenly. India, China, and Pakistan account for 47% of rivers with the highest antibiotic dose concentrations.
Rivers in densely populated regions suffer the most, as inadequate wastewater systems struggle to cope with rising antibiotic use. The study estimates that 750 million people live in close proximity to these contaminated rivers, facing the risk of exposure to antibiotic-laden water.
Monitoring and mitigation
Monitoring programs play a pivotal role in combating river contamination. Identifying hotspots of antibiotic pollution enables targeted intervention, preventing further environmental degradation.
“Monitoring programs to detect antibiotic or other chemical contamination of waterways are therefore needed, especially in areas that our model predicts to be at risk,” said Nicell.
However, detection alone is not enough. Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities becomes imperative, particularly in low-income regions where untreated waste flows directly into rivers.
Implementing advanced filtration systems could significantly reduce antibiotic concentrations, safeguarding both aquatic life and human health.
A global challenge
Antibiotic pollution in rivers represents a pressing environmental crisis. The McGill study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive mitigation strategies.
Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, encompassing both monitoring programs and wastewater treatment upgrades.
Unchecked, antibiotic residues will continue to accumulate in river systems, threatening biodiversity and public health. Effective solutions must target the root causes – rising antibiotic consumption, inadequate waste management, and insufficient regulation.
The study is published in the journal PNAS Nexus.
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