WATER QUALITY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ANTIBIOTICS: ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Antibiotics enter the surface water primarily through urban runoff, untreated/partially treated wastewater, and residues that may persist in the treated effluent. They enter the environment and pose a selective pressure resulting in altering the microbial structure and proliferation of resistant bacterial strains. Therefore, major concerns are the magnitude of the concentration of antibiotics and the modality of their release in the environment. The present study investigates the concentration of various antibiotics in surface water sources (River, Canal, and Stormwater drains) and in the wastewater in a sub-tropical urban setting and its potential impact on the environment (with respect to the risk assessment) along with the routine water quality parameters. Standard protocol was followed for the monitoring and analysis of water and wastewater samples. A liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) was employed for the analysis of antibiotic residues in the samples.