title: Levels of six antibiotics used in China estimated by means of wastewater-based epidemiology.
abstract: Due to lack of proper regulation, information about antibiotics consumption in many countries such as China is difficult to obtain. In this study, a simple method based on wastewater-based epidemiology was adopted to estimate their usage in four megacities of China. Six antibiotics (norfloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, erythromycin and roxithromycin), which are the most frequently consumed antibiotics in China, were selected as the targets. Based on our results, Chongqing had the largest total annual consumption of the selected six antibiotics among the four megacities, followed by Guangzhou, then Hong Kong, with Beijing having the least, with values of 4.4 g/y/P, 4.0 g/y/P, 1.6 g/y/P, and 1.3 g/y/P, respectively. Compared with the daily consumption per capita in Italy, the estimated consumption levels of the selected six antibiotics in four cities of China were 12-41 times those of Italy. Our results suggested that the consumption of antibiotics in China was excessive.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China and Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Cluster, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China E-mail: zehualiu@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Su-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China and Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Cluster, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China E-mail: zehualiu@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ze-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China and Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Cluster, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China E-mail: zehualiu@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ri-Ping
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China and Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Cluster, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China E-mail: zehualiu@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China and Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Cluster, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China E-mail: zehualiu@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dang
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000032:analysis; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000032:analysis; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000032:analysis; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000032:analysis; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin; D009643:Norfloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D014295:Trimethoprim; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical