Performance and environmental impact of norfloxacin antibiotic in the environment

• Grant number: 10/14973-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2011
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo
• Grantee: Leila Aparecida Figueiredo
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is the largest exporter of poultry meat and poultry litter, a major solid waste, is commonly used as agricultural fertilizer. This residue may contain significant amounts of antibiotics which may cause an environmental impact little investigated until now. Currently enrofloxacin (ENR) and norfloxacin (NOR) are the main antibiotics used by farms, but ciprofloxacin (CIP) is very detected because it is a degradation product of ENR. Thus, the objective of this study is to conduct an environmental review of ENR, NOR and CIP and evaluate the impact of indiscriminate use of antimicrobials on microbial community in soil and aquatic organisms. In the first stage of the project there will be a survey of farms in Piracicaba/SP and seven of them will be selected to collect poultry litter samples, soil and surface water. The determination of antibiotics in the samples will be performed by liquid chromatography high performance coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and leaching tests will be conducted with these molecules in the field. In the second stage, it will be determined microbial activity on soil samples by radiorespirometry method using 14C-glucose, then the bacterial diversity of soil samples will be determined by reaction of the polymerase chain - Electrophoresis Denaturing Gradient Gel (PCR/DGGE). The third stage will be conducted to determine the acute toxicity of these antibiotics for Daphnia magna (daphnia) and Danio rerio (fish - zebrafish). It is believed that the use of fluoroquinolones (ENR, NOR and CIP) in chickens can cause death of populations of microorganisms in the soil, decreasing microbial activity and diversity of these in locations where it is being applied or disposed such poultry litter. It is still believed that when these molecules reach waterways near the farms can occur acute toxicity in microcrustaceans and fish. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FIGUEIREDO, Leila Aparecida. Fluoroquinolones in poultry: impact on the bacterial community in soil and aquatic organisms. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB) Piracicaba.