Antibiotics are contaminating rivers worldwide

The research team looked for residues of 14 commonly prescribed antibiotics in rivers from 72 different countries. Antibiotics were found in almost two thirds of the samples.

Three medicines stand out

Dangerous levels of pollution were measured particularly often in Asia and Africa. The worst value was found by the researchers in a river in Bangladesh: the concentration of the drug metronidazole, which is used to treat infections with bacteria and parasites, exceeded the safety threshold by 300 times. However, the measured residues in Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan and Nigeria were also said to be alarming.

The most widespread active substance was trimethoprim, which is prescribed, for example, for bladder infections. The antibiotic was detected at 43% of the sites examined. The antibiotic that most frequently exceeded the limit was ciprofloxacin, which is used, for example, for certain infections of the respiratory tract or the genital tract.

Risk of resistant germs

As recently as April, the UN warned of the danger of microbial resistance and spoke of a “global crisis”. According to the report, around 700,000 people already die today as a result of drug-resistant diseases. By 2050, this figure could rise to ten million deaths per year, assuming the worst-case scenario and if nothing is done to counter it.

Alistair Boxall also says it is absolutely necessary to invest in suitable wastewater treatment infrastructure and to clean up rivers that are already contaminated: “Solving the problem will be a mammoth task.”

 

Source: https://www.srf.ch/article/17242869/amp