Impact of Antibiotic Residues in Wastewater

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 113

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Sciences School, Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Ex-Hacienda de Sta., Catarina Martir s/n, San Andres Cholula, Puebla 72810, Mexico
Interests: water disinfection; bioremediation; nanomaterial toxicity; novel antibiotics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The value of antibiotics to control infectious diseases caused by bacteria is undeniable, not only in humans but also in animals, particularly livestock and farm animals. Unfortunately, the abuse and improper use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of super-resistant bacteria. In some cases, no antibiotic to can eliminate these bacteria is available, resulting in human fatality. Many of these antibiotics, when administered to animals or humans, are eliminated through urine or feces without any modification, ending up in the drainage system. Places with higher discharges of these drugs include the pharmaceutical industries that produce them, hospitals, farms, and urban waters. The antibiotics contained in wastewater can culminate in treatment plants or directly in rivers or lakes. The presence of these antibiotics in the environment can eliminate beneficial bacteria used for wastewater treatment or nitrogen-fixing bacteria; on the other hand, sublethal concentrations of these antibiotics favor the emergence of new resistant bacteria. If these bacteria infect humans or animals, the outcome can be fatal. This necessitates the search for methods and technologies to eliminate antibiotics and consequently avoid problems.

Prof. Dr. Jose Sanchez-Salas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antibiotic residues
  • wastewater treatment
  • environmental antibiotics
  • pharmaceutical contaminants
  • antimicrobial resistance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 2076 KiB  
Article
Numerical Modeling of Gentamicin Transport in Agricultural Soils: Implications for Environmental Pollution
by Nami Morales-Durán, Sebastián Fuentes, Jesús García-Gallego, José Treviño-Reséndez, Josué D. García-Espinoza, Rubén Morones-Ramírez and Carlos Chávez
Antibiotics 2025, 14(8), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14080786 (registering DOI) - 2 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In recent years, the discharge of antibiotics into rivers and irrigation canals has increased. However, few studies have addressed the impact of these compounds on agricultural fields that use such water to meet crop demands. Methods: In this study, the transport of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: In recent years, the discharge of antibiotics into rivers and irrigation canals has increased. However, few studies have addressed the impact of these compounds on agricultural fields that use such water to meet crop demands. Methods: In this study, the transport of two types of gentamicin (pure gentamicin and gentamicin sulfate) was modeled at concentrations of 150 and 300 μL/L, respectively, in a soil with more than 60 years of agricultural use. Infiltration tests under constant head conditions and gentamicin transport experiments were conducted in acrylic columns measuring 14 cm in length and 12.7 cm in diameter. The scaling parameters for the Richards equation were obtained from experimental data, while those for the advection–dispersion equation were estimated using inverse methods through a nonlinear optimization algorithm. In addition, a fractal-based model for saturated hydraulic conductivity was employed. Results: It was found that the dispersivity of gentamicin sulfate is 3.1 times higher than that of pure gentamicin. Based on the estimated parameters, two simulation scenarios were conducted: continuous application of gentamicin and soil flushing after antibiotic discharge. The results show that the transport velocity of gentamicin sulfate in the soil may have short-term consequences for the emergence of resistant microorganisms due to the destination of wastewater containing antibiotic residues. Conclusions: Finally, further research is needed to evaluate the impact of antibiotics on soil physical properties, as well as their effects on irrigated crops, animals that consume such water, and the soil microbiota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Antibiotic Residues in Wastewater)
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