Long-term exposure of Allonais inaequalis to a mixture of antibiotics in freshwater and synthetic wastewater matrices: Reproduction, recovery, and swimming responses

Author(s)

Castro, Gleyson B. ; Alexandre, David S. ; Bernegossi, Aline C. ; Bezerra, Yohanna A. F. ; Fonseca, Mateus C. ; Zaiat, Marcelo ; Corbi, Juliano J.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH; v. 96, n. 3, p. 18-pg., 2024-03-01.

Abstract

Antibiotics from sulfonamide, fluoroquinolone, and diaminopyrimidine classes are widely used in human and veterinary medicine, and their combined occurrence in the aquatic environment is increasing around the world. In parallel, the understanding of how mixtures of these compounds affect non-target species from tropical freshwaters is scarce. Thus, this work aimed to study the long-term reproductive, recovery, and swimming effects of mixtures of 12 antibiotics from three different classes (up to 10 mu g L-1) added to freshwater (FWM) and synthetic wastewater (SWM) matrices on freshwater worm Allonais inaequalis. Results revealed that at the reproduction level, the exposure to antibiotics in the SWM matrix does not cause a significant toxic effect on species after 10 days. On the other hand, exposures to initial dose mixtures (10 mu g L-1 each) in FWM caused a significant reduction of offspring by 19.2%. In addition, recovery bioassays (10 days in an antibiotic-free environment) suggested that A. inaequalis has reduced offspring production due to previous exposure to antibiotic mixtures in both matrices. Furthermore, despite slight variation in swimming speed over treatments, no significant differences were pointed out. Regarding antibiotics in the water matrices after 10-day exposures, the highest concentrations were up to 2.7, 7.8, and 4.2 mu g L-1 for antibiotics from sulfonamide, fluoroquinolone, and diaminopyrimidine classes, respectively. These findings suggest that a species positioned between primary producers and secondary consumers may experience late reproductive damage even in an antibiotic-free zone, after previous 10-day exposure to antibiotic mixtures. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/06246-7 - Biorefinery concept applied to biological wastewater treatment plants: environmental pollution control coupled with material and energy recovery
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/11042-0 - Antibiotics in synthetic and hospital wastewater, raw and treated on anaerobic reactors: toxic effects on freshwater invertebrates
• Grantee: Gleyson Borges Castro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/15087-8 - Potential of decentralized wastewater treatment for preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance, organic micropollutants, pathogens and viruses (PRESAGE)
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 22/12048-7 - Altered motor function in zebrafish larvae exposed to sulfonamide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: behavioral, cellular, and molecular responses
• Grantee: Gleyson Borges Castro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate