Occurrence and quantification of prevalent antibiotics in wastewater samples from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan

Rabeea Zafar; Shanza Bashir; Deedar Nabi; Muhammad Arshad

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142596

Occurrence and quantification of prevalent antibiotics in wastewater samples from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 10:764:142596. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142596. Epub 2020 Oct 8.

Authors

Rabeea Zafar¹, Shanza Bashir², Deedar Nabi², Muhammad Arshad³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; Department of Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Allama Iqbal Open University, Sector H-8, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
² Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
³ Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan. Electronic address: marshad@iese.nust.edu.pk.

PMID: 33097270
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142596

Abstract

Release of emerging pollutants including antibiotics to the environment is a serious concern for environmentalist as well as policy makers. To explore the presence and real situation analysis, a study was conducted focusing on detection and quantification of selected antibiotics in wastewater channels of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan along with development of a simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) based method. The samples were collected in triplicates from all the main wastewater streams of the study area with potential presence of antibiotics in the wastewater coming from the surrounding industries, hospitals, drug formulation units and residential localities. Optimized method for detection and quantification was established and validated through spiked as well as real samples. The highest concentration was of Ciprofloxacin 332.154 μg mL^-1 followed by Ofloxacin > Ampicillin > Levofloxacin > Sulfamethoxazole. The results showed the presence of antibiotics due to indiscriminate use that could lead to presence of resistant strains and thus ultimately causing the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Keywords: Ampicillin; Antibiotics; Fluoroquinolones; HPLC method; SMX; Wastewater.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Ciprofloxacin / analysis
Pakistan
Wastewater* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ciprofloxacin