TY - JOUR

T1 - Standardized Tests Fail to Assess the Effects of Antibiotics on Environmental Bacteria

AU - Kümmerer, Klaus

AU - Alexy, Radka

AU - Hüttig, Jana

AU - Scholl, Alice

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to the suppliers of test compounds. We wish to thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant No. KU 1271/2-1) and the Umweltbundesamt for their financial support (Grant No.: 298 637 22).

PY - 2004/4/1

Y1 - 2004/4/1

N2 - Pharmaceuticals are designed and used because of their specific biological effects. Over the past decade, compounds from various classes of pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment. Concern has grown about the adverse effects pharmaceuticals in the environment might potentially have on human and ecological health. A sound risk assessment is therefore urgently needed for pharmaceuticals. Standardized tests for assessing the effects of chemicals on environmental organisms are widely used for this purpose. However it is questionable whether classical standardized tests give reliable data needed for environmental risk assessment. In this study we investigated the suitability of the respiration inhibition test OECD 209 for the assessment of the effects of antibiotics, disinfectants and cytotoxics on sewage sludge bacteria. We found that inhibition concentrations can strongly depend on the test period and the type of compound. We conclude that tests to assess the effects of pharmaceuticals on environmental organisms such as bacteria have to be evaluated before their results can be used in environmental risk assessment. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Pharmaceuticals are designed and used because of their specific biological effects. Over the past decade, compounds from various classes of pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment. Concern has grown about the adverse effects pharmaceuticals in the environment might potentially have on human and ecological health. A sound risk assessment is therefore urgently needed for pharmaceuticals. Standardized tests for assessing the effects of chemicals on environmental organisms are widely used for this purpose. However it is questionable whether classical standardized tests give reliable data needed for environmental risk assessment. In this study we investigated the suitability of the respiration inhibition test OECD 209 for the assessment of the effects of antibiotics, disinfectants and cytotoxics on sewage sludge bacteria. We found that inhibition concentrations can strongly depend on the test period and the type of compound. We conclude that tests to assess the effects of pharmaceuticals on environmental organisms such as bacteria have to be evaluated before their results can be used in environmental risk assessment. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - environmental risk assessment (ERA)

KW - guideline OECD 209

KW - pharmaceutical

KW - respiration inhibition test

KW - sludge bacteria

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1942517950&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e0b161ae-fc35-3815-aacf-2e83a51cc4af/

U2 - 10.1016/j.watres.2004.02.004

DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2004.02.004

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 38

SP - 2111

EP - 2116

JO - Water Research

JF - Water Research

SN - 0043-1354

IS - 8

ER -