title: Elimination patterns of worldwide used sulfonamides and tetracyclines during anaerobic fermentation.
abstract: Antibiotics such as sulfonamides and tetracyclines are frequently used in veterinary medicine. Due to incomplete absorption in the animal gut and/or unmetabolized excretion, the substances can enter the environment by using manure as soil fertilizer. The anaerobic fermentation process of biogas plants is discussed as potential sink for antibiotic compounds. However, negative impacts of antibiotics on the fermentation process are suspected. The elimination of sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, tetracycline and chlortetracycline in semi-continuous lab-scale fermenters was investigated. Both biogas production and methane yield were not negatively affected by concentrations up to 38 mg per kg for sulfonamides and 7 mg per kg for tetracyclines. All substances were partly eliminated with elimination rates between 14% and 89%. Both matrix and structure of the target molecule influenced the elimination rate. Chlortetracycline was mainly transformed into iso-chlortetracycline. In all other cases, the elimination pathways remained undiscovered; however, sorption processes seem to have a negligible impact.
authors.affiliation: Justus Liebig University, Institute for Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: astrid.spielmeyer@lcb.chemie.uni-giessen.de.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spielmeyer
authors.affiliation: Fritzmeier Umwelttechnik GmbH and Co. KG, Department inocre®, Dorfstraße 7, D-85653 Großhelfendorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breier
authors.affiliation: Fritzmeier Umwelttechnik GmbH and Co. KG, Department inocre®, Dorfstraße 7, D-85653 Großhelfendorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Groißmeier
authors.affiliation: Justus Liebig University, Institute for Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamscher
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D002751:Chlortetracycline / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005285:Fermentation; D013411:Sulfadiazine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013418:Sulfamethazine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D056804:Biofuels; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013754:Tetracyclines; D013411:Sulfadiazine; D013418:Sulfamethazine; D002751:Chlortetracycline
keywords: Anaerobic fermentation; Biogas plant; Manure; Sulfonamide; Tetracycline