Journal of East China Normal University(Natural Science) ›› 2024, Vol. 2024 ›› Issue (6): 136-150.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1000-5641.2024.06.012

• Ecological Risk and Management • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal differential distribution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of antibiotics in the Yangtze River Estuary and offshore areas

Yuyi WANG, Ye HUANG, Jing YANG, Fangfang DING, Tianhao HE, Yushan LI, Lin HUANG, Ye LI, Min LIU()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
  • Received:2024-07-25 Accepted:2024-09-08 Online:2024-11-25 Published:2024-11-29
  • Contact: Min LIU E-mail:mliu@geo.ecnu.edu.cn

Abstract:

As the ultimate destination of antibiotics in rivers, the mechanism and change law of migration from rivers to oceans have not been fully and systematically studied. In this study, surface water samples were collected in the Yangtze River Estuary and its offshore areas in the wet season and dry season of 2023. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to identify 20 antibiotics in five categories. This analysis was conducted to assess the concentrations, temporal and spatial distribution, and potential ecological risks. The results showed that the concentrations of 20 antibiotics ranged from not detected ~ 63.32 ng·L–1, and showed a decreasing trend from inland to marine areas from the mouth-adjacent section (average 108 ng·L–1) to the estuary section (average 50 ng·L–1), to the coastal section outside the mouth (average 40 ng·L–1), and the coastal area (average 29 ng·L–1). The concentrations of the five types of antibiotics from high to low were chloramphenicols > macrolides > sulfonamides > quinolones > tetracyclines. The categories and amount of detected antibiotics showed significant seasonal differences. The seasonal-change pattern showed that the ML concentration season was significantly higher in the dry than the wet season, while the concentrations of TCs were significantly higher in the wet season than the dry season. Antibiotics, such as Sulfamethoxazole, Ciprofloxacin, Chlortetracycline, Erythromycin, Chloramphenicol, Ofloxacin, posed a significant threat to the water in the study area, and the ecological risks should not be overlooked.

Key words: antibiotics, Yangtze River Estuary, offshore areas, temporal and spatial distribution, ecological risk

CLC Number: