Investigation of antibiotic pollution in the Yangtze River Basin
➤Over 80% of the body's immune function is based on the balance of intestinal flora. Abuse of antibiotics destroys probiotics in a large amount, destroys the micro-ecological balance of the intestine, and creates conditions for the invasion and reproduction of bacteria in vitro
➤ At present, there are three major problems in the supervision of antibiotics in China: one is that the pollution control and control started late, the drug production and use registration system is lacking, and the load estimation is difficult; the second is the disconnection between environmental science and hydrology, and the process traceability is difficult; the third is the lack of advanced wastewater treatment technology. Load reduction is difficult
➤Currently, there is insufficient research on the harmful mechanism of antibiotics in China, and insufficient supervision on antibiotic abuse. Standards should be revised as soon as possible, source control should be strictly controlled, and research should be strengthened to control antibiotic pollution in rivers, lakes and reservoirs
Text | "Lookout" News Weekly reporter Ling Junhui Qin Huajiang Lu Huadong
In recent years, as the Yangtze River Great Protection continues to advance, the water quality of the Yangtze River Basin has improved significantly. However, a recent survey by our reporter found that the concentration of antibiotics in the Yangtze River Basin is high, and the water ecosystem has been damaged. What is more worrying is that relevant surveys show that antibiotics have been detected in the urine of about 40% of pregnant women in the Yangtze River Delta, and veterinary antibiotics have been detected in the urine of nearly 80% of children. Damage the body's immunity.
A number of authoritative experts called for the threat of antibiotics to be incorporated into the national safety monitoring system as soon as possible, to strictly control the use and discharge of antibiotics from the source, to strengthen the research on the impact of pollution on human health, and to improve the level of safety prevention and control.
Antibiotic pollution destroys water ecology and increases the risk of exposure of pregnant women
The Yangtze River is an important water source, and its water quality is related to the health of hundreds of millions of people. With the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the abuse of antibiotics has become increasingly prominent, which not only produces chronic toxicological effects on aquatic organisms, but also easily produces drug resistance and reduces human immunity.
A recent survey by the Yangtze River Protection and Green Development Institute of Hohai University shows that the average concentration of antibiotics in the Yangtze River is 156ng / L (ng / L), which is higher than some developed countries in Europe and America. The discharge of antibiotics in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River ranks among the top three in the country, with an annual emission intensity of approximately 60.0 kg / km2.
Destroy the ecology of the Yangtze River Basin and produce chronic toxicological effects on aquatic organisms. Professor Chen Qiuwen, director of the Institute of Ecology, Nanjing Institute of Water Sciences and Director of the Ecological Environment Center of the Yangtze River Conservation and Green Development Institute, found that antibiotics and their metabolites are potentially toxic to aquatic organisms such as non-resistant microorganisms, phytoplankton, and fish Risks, disrupt the energy transfer of the aquatic food chain, which in turn affects the health of highly nutritious organisms and aquatic ecosystems.
"If antibiotic use is not strictly controlled, there will still be growth trends in the future." Wang Zhiyuan, a senior engineer at the Institute of Ecology, Nanjing Institute of Water Sciences, believes that taking the analysis of antibiotics in drinking water sources in the main stream of the Yangtze River as an example, its "false persistence" can produce aquatic organisms. Chronic toxicological effects lead to antibiotics or resistance genes in aquatic organisms. The human activity intensity in the Yangtze River Delta region is high, and the amount of antibiotics used is large. The situation of antibiotic pollution prevention and control is more severe than in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Children and pregnant women are generally exposed, destroying human immunity. A survey of thousands of children aged 8 to 11 years and 516 pregnant women by the School of Public Health of Fudan University in recent years revealed that 21 kinds of human, veterinary or human and veterinary antibiotics were detected in urine samples of children, and 79.6% of school-age children One or several antibiotics were detected in urine, some of which have been clinically banned. Exposure of veterinary antibiotics is associated with childhood obesity and precocious puberty. In addition, there are 16 antibiotics detected in the urine of pregnant women in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, and the detection rate of one or more antibiotics is 41.6%. Exposure of pregnant women is more common and the risk is greater.
Professor Chen Qiuwen believes that antibiotics cannot be completely metabolized after entering the human body and animals through drinking water or edible aquatic products. After long-term ingestion, antibiotics follow the blood circulation throughout multiple organs, resulting in a gradually reduced immunity.
Experts believe that more than 80% of the body's immune function is based on the balance of intestinal flora. Abuse of antibiotics destroys probiotics in large quantities, reducing the number of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that are highly sensitive to antibiotics, and the bacteria with poor sensitivity take advantage of the opportunity to multiply and destroy the micro-ecological balance of the intestine, which creates conditions for the invasion and reproduction of bacteria in vitro.
Two major sources of antibiotics: breeding materials + pharmaceutical emissions
A reporter survey found that antibiotics in water mainly come from hospital and pharmaceutical factory wastewater, aquatic and livestock breeding wastewater, and landfills. Most antibiotics cannot be effectively removed under the existing process, resulting in rivers and lakes becoming antibiotics and drug resistance genes Library.
Researchers from the Yangtze River Protection and Green Development Institute surveyed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and found that in the process of raising pigs, broilers, aquatic products, etc., due to the high density of breeding, many farmers are used to adding various kinds of feed to reduce the incidence of infection. Antibiotics. For example, in pig feed, colistin sulfate and chlortetracycline are commonly used antibiotics, and one ton of feed can add one pound of antibiotic drugs. Some fish farmers raise frankly: "Fish and crab feeds must be mixed with antibiotics, otherwise a large piece will definitely lose money."
The wastewater from pharmaceutical factories and hospitals contains high concentrations of antibiotics, causing serious pollution in the river basin. Researchers have found that the sewage outlets of large pharmaceutical manufacturers are distributed 5 kilometers upstream of some drinking water sources. For example, there are sewage outlets of three pharmaceutical companies near a water source in a city in the Yangtze River Delta, and some six or seven pharmaceutical factories at the intersection of some tributaries of the Yangtze River. The wastewater contains high-concentration antibiotics.
The survey found that in recent years, although the Yangtze River Basin has stepped up efforts to renovate, many midstream and downstream chemical, pharmaceutical, mid- and low-end manufacturing, and livestock and poultry breeding companies have moved upstream or tributaries, and the pollution situation is severe.
The latest research by academician Zhu Yongguan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that most of the antibiotics ingested by animals enter the soil and water through animal feces and urine in the form of original drugs or metabolites, and cause poison to the entire ecological environment through the food chain, affecting plants, soil microorganisms and The normal life activities and functions of animals. More seriously, the environmental residues of antibiotics will induce the selection of resistant bacteria and promote the horizontal transfer of resistance genes, leading to the spread of microbial resistance, and the proliferation of microorganisms carrying resistance genes into new environments will further multiply and may pass genes. Horizontal transfer transfers resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria, causing catastrophic harm to health.
Strengthen antibiotic supervision and improve pollution disposal
Many authoritative experts pointed out that at present China has insufficient research on the mechanism of antibiotic hazards and insufficient supervision of antibiotic abuse, resulting in the current high levels of antibiotics in rivers and lakes.
Zhang Jianyun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Yangtze River Protection and Green Development Institute of Hohai University, believes that there are three major problems in the supervision of antibiotics in China: first, the pollution control and control started late, the lack of drug production and registration systems, and the load estimation is difficult; second, environmental science Disconnected from hydrology, the process is difficult to trace; the third is the lack of advanced sewage treatment technology, and it is difficult to reduce the load.
"The antibiotic exposure status of all ages and groups, the impact and mechanism of antibiotic exposure on children and the health of the population, and the effect of antibiotic exposure from the environment and food on the population microbiome resistance, etc., are currently lacking research." Fudan University Public Professor Jiang Qingwu, former dean of the School of Health, said.
Relevant experts appealed that the risk of antibiotic pollution is related to the health of the people and the long-term development of the Chinese nation. The standards should be revised as soon as possible, the source should be strictly controlled, and research should be strengthened to control antibiotic pollution in the Yangtze River Basin.
Strengthen antibiotic monitoring capacity building and revise relevant standards. Academician Zhang Jianyun pointed out that there is currently no mandatory standard for the limit of antibiotics in the surface water environment. It is recommended that antibiotics should be included in the monitoring indicators in the national key control section water environment monitoring platform, and the typical standard should be added to the current drinking water standards. Antibiotic reference index and limit control index.
Reduce antibiotic use and emissions from the source. Professor Tang Hongwu, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hohai University and Executive Dean of the Research Institute of Yangtze River Protection and Green Development, suggested to improve the registration and control mechanism of antibiotic use, to establish a database of antibiotic pollution sources in China ’s watersheds, and to focus on monitoring key risk sources that contribute significantly to antibiotic load Such as pharmaceutical factories, farms, etc. At the same time, the staff in the breeding industry should be instructed to use antibiotics reasonably, reduce the dosage, and prevent the use of banned antibiotics.
Strengthen the research on the impact of antibiotic pollution on health and food, and improve the pollution treatment capacity. Professor Jiang Qingwu suggested that a comprehensive evaluation of environmental antibiotic residues and human antibiotic exposure and health effects, with particular attention to the impact on children ’s growth and development, to study the impact of environmental antibiotic residues on bacterial resistance and population health and its mechanism , Provide reliable basic data and theoretical basis for aquaculture, health inspection, food processing, and environmental supervision policies.