Sorption of fluoroquinolones and sulfonamides in 13 Brazilian soils

Author(s)

Pereira Leal, Rafael Marques ^[1] ; Ferracciu Alleoni, Luis Reynaldo ^[2] ; Tornisielo, Valdemar Luiz ^[1] ; Regitano, Jussara Borges ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, CENA, Lab Ecotoxicol, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, ESALQ, Dept Ciencia Solo, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Chemosphere; v. 92, n. 8, p. 979-985, AUG 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 68

Abstract

Animal production is a leading economic activity in Brazil and antibiotics are widely used. However, the occurrence, behavior, and impacts of antibiotics in Brazilian soils are still poorly known. We evaluated the sorption behavior of four fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, and enrofloxacin) and five sulfonamides (sulfadiazine, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimidine, and sulfathiazole) in 13 Brazilian soils with contrasting physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Fluoroquinolone sorption was very high (K-d >= 544 L kg(-1)) whereas sulfonamide sorption ranged from low to high (K-d = 0.7-70.1 L kg(-1)), consistent with previous reports in the literature. Soil texture and cation exchange capacity were the soil attributes that most affected sorption. Cation exchange was the most important sorption mechanism for the fluoroquinolones in highly weathered tropical soils, although cation bridging and ion pairing could not be ruled out. Hydrophobic partition played an important role in the sorption of the sulfonamides, but sorption was also affected by non-hydrophobic interactions with organic and/or mineral surfaces. Sorption for both compound classes tended to be higher in soils with high Al and Fe oxihydroxide contents, but they were not correlated with K-d values. No direct effect of soil pH was seen. The fluoroquinolones are not expected to leach even in worst-case scenarios (soils rich in sand and poor in organic carbon), whereas soil attributes dictate leaching potential for the sulfonamides. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/01596-9 - Environmental monitoring of antibiotic residues used in the Brazilian poultry production
• Grantee: Jussara Borges Regitano
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 07/08425-0 - Environmental occurrence and behavior of veterinary antibiotics residues
• Grantee: Rafael Marques Pereira Leal
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate