Antibiotic substances are the most powerful tools available for the treatment of infectious diseases. In addition to being used for the treatment of infections in human patients and farm animals, antibiotics are also routinely given to healthy farm animals to promote growth and proactively prevent disease outbreaks.
The administered antibiotics and their metabolic by-products pass through human and animal bodies and ultimately enter the environment. Moreover, emissions from production facilities are additional causes of pollution. Due to the fact that the wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove antibiotics and their by-products from the wastewater, trace amounts reach the receiving water bodies.
Although antibiotics exist in trace concentrations in water and wastewater, their potential hazard, including the development of antibiotic resistance due to long-term exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations, contamination in the environment, and threat to ecological safety and human health. Therefore, it is urgent to mitigate the problem of antibiotic contamination in waste environments. Antibiotics in water and wastewater will be the focus of this Research Topic.
This Research Topic welcomes contributions including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Prospective articles. The areas covered by this Research Topic may include but are not limited to the following topics:
• Occurrence, transformation, and reactions of antibiotics in the engineered and natural aquatic environment
• Treatment methods and kinetic analysis of treatment methods for antibiotic-contaminated waters and antibiotic-containing wastewaters
• Microbial impact of antibiotics on the treatment systems and natural water bodies, including antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotic substances are the most powerful tools available for the treatment of infectious diseases. In addition to being used for the treatment of infections in human patients and farm animals, antibiotics are also routinely given to healthy farm animals to promote growth and proactively prevent disease outbreaks.
The administered antibiotics and their metabolic by-products pass through human and animal bodies and ultimately enter the environment. Moreover, emissions from production facilities are additional causes of pollution. Due to the fact that the wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove antibiotics and their by-products from the wastewater, trace amounts reach the receiving water bodies.
Although antibiotics exist in trace concentrations in water and wastewater, their potential hazard, including the development of antibiotic resistance due to long-term exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations, contamination in the environment, and threat to ecological safety and human health. Therefore, it is urgent to mitigate the problem of antibiotic contamination in waste environments. Antibiotics in water and wastewater will be the focus of this Research Topic.
This Research Topic welcomes contributions including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Prospective articles. The areas covered by this Research Topic may include but are not limited to the following topics:
• Occurrence, transformation, and reactions of antibiotics in the engineered and natural aquatic environment
• Treatment methods and kinetic analysis of treatment methods for antibiotic-contaminated waters and antibiotic-containing wastewaters
• Microbial impact of antibiotics on the treatment systems and natural water bodies, including antimicrobial resistance.