Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Pages: 160-168

Journal: Journal of Environmental Quality

Volume number: 46

Issue number: 1

ISSN: 0047-2425

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2016.04.0152

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
Liquid manure is frequently used as soil fertilizer due to its high nutrient content. It can also contain residues of pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics, if farm animals are medicated. The anaerobic fermentation process in biogas plants is discussed as one way to reduce the input of antibiotics into the environment. Therefore, 10 worldwide-applied sulfonamides (sulfachloropyridazine, sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfaguanidine, sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfapyridine, and sulfathiazole) and four frequently used tetracyclines (chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline) were investigated concerning their elimination pattern during anaerobic fermentation. Batch fermenters with autoclaved and non-autoclaved inoculum were utilized to distinguish between biotic and abiotic elimination pathways. Overall, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethoxypyridazine, and sulfamethoxazole showed the highest elimination, which was considerably reduced by autoclaving before inoculation. Structure elucidation via nuclear magnetic resonance and different mass spectrometry techniques revealed only minor structural modifications such as O-demethylation and hydrogenation, which did not result in a considerably reduced antimicrobial activity. These results show that, especially, sulfonamides are more persistent than expected. Future studies should deal with the elucidation of relevant process parameters for an enhanced compound degradation.

Harvard Citation style: Spielmeyer, A., Stahl, F., Petri, M., Zerr, W., Brunn, H. and Hamscher, G. (2017) Transformation of Sulfonamides and Tetracyclines during Anaerobic Fermentation of Liquid Manure, Journal of Environmental Quality, 46(1), pp. 160-168. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2016.04.0152

APA Citation style: Spielmeyer, A., Stahl, F., Petri, M., Zerr, W., Brunn, H., & Hamscher, G. (2017). Transformation of Sulfonamides and Tetracyclines during Anaerobic Fermentation of Liquid Manure. Journal of Environmental Quality. 46(1), 160-168. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2016.04.0152