Standardized Tests Fail to Assess the Effects of Antibiotics on Environmental Bacteria
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Water Research, Vol. 38, No. 8, 01.04.2004, p. 2111-2116.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
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 -