Measurement of Antibiotics In Water and Sediment: Determining Our Antibiotic Footprint

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is considered to be one of the greatest global public health threats of the 21st century. The discharge of antibiotics into the environment may increase antimicrobial resistance as well as disrupt proper ecosystem functioning. Thus, evaluating the antibiotics present in the environment as well as the contributing factors to their presence in the environment will provide invaluable information for improving water quality and protecting human and ecosystem health. This dissertation investigates the presence of antibiotics in water and sediment in both wastewater treatment effluent and agricultural animal affected areas throughout Minnesota. This is to provide a fine scale as well as a broadscale approach with multiple samples at each site at sites across Minnesota. Additionally, a snapshot of the antibiotics present and long term trends of antibiotics in the environment are investigated through water and sediment samples, respectively.