title: Persistence of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic difloxacin in soil and lacking effects on nitrogen turnover.
abstract: The environmental risks caused by the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in human therapeutics and animal husbandry are associated with their persistence and (bio)accessibility in soil. To assess these aspects, we administered difloxacin to pigs and applied the contaminated manure to soil. We then evaluated the dissipation and sequestration of difloxacin in soil in the absence and presence of plants within a laboratory trial, a mesocosm trial, and a field trial. A sequential extraction yielded antibiotic fractions of differing binding strength. We also assessed the antibiotic's effects on nitrogen turnover in soil (potential nitrification and denitrification). Difloxacin was hardly (bio)accessible and was very persistent under all conditions studied (dissipation half-life in bulk soil, >217 d), rapidly forming nonextractable residues. Although varying environmental conditions did not affect persistence, dissipation was accelerated in soil surrounding plant roots. Effects on nitrogen turnover were limited due to the compound's strong binding and small (bio)accessibility despite its persistence.
authors: University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. ingrid.rosendahl@uni-bonn.de
authors: Ingrid
authors: I
authors: Rosendahl
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Siemens
authors: Reimo
authors: R
authors: Kindler
authors: Joost
authors: J
authors: Groeneweg
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Zimmermann
authors: Sonja
authors: S
authors: Czerwinski
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Lamshöft
authors: Volker
authors: V
authors: Laabs
authors: Berndt-Michael
authors: BM
authors: Wilke
authors: Harry
authors: H
authors: Vereecken
authors: Wulf
authors: W
authors: Amelung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; C047225:difloxacin; D009584:Nitrogen; C047224:sarafloxacin