Antibiotics from human use are contaminating rivers worldwide, study shows

Traces of pharmaceuticals are contaminating rivers and oceans worldwide

Pharmaceuticals from human waste, industry, and agriculture are polluting global waterways and potentially fueling antibiotic resistance and ecological disruptions.Kiley Price reports for Inside Climate News.In short:A global study found that over a quarter of sampled river sites in 104 countries had unsafe levels of pharmaceutical contamination, including antibiotics and antidepressants.In low-income countries with weak wastewater infrastructur…

Antibiotic pollution widespread in world’s rivers, study finds

Nearly a third of all antibiotics that people consume end up in the world’s rivers, a new study finds. This could potentially harm aquatic life and impact human health by promoting drug resistance, researchers say. Antibiotics, critical for treating various bacterial infections, are widely consumed by people, livestock and aquaculture fish, but the drugs are only partially absorbed by the body. Much is excreted, entering the environment, especia…

750 Million People May Live Near Water Laced With Antibiotics

Right now, roughly 8,500 tons of antibiotic residues are washing through the global river system annually, with over 3,300 tons ultimately reaching oceans and lakes. This discovery comes from a new study from McGill University that examined how antibiotics from human consumption alone, not including veterinary or industrial sources, are contaminating waterways worldwide. The post 750 Million People May Live Near Water Laced With Antibiotics appe…

Researchers find 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics enter rivers every year

A global study led by McGill University estimates that 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics enter river systems annually, mostly from human use—even after wastewater treatment. The findings warn that chronic exposure poses risks to aquatic life and fuels antibiotic resistance, especially in regions with poor sanitation.

Antibiotics from human use are contaminating rivers worldwide, study shows

Millions of kilometers of rivers around the world are carrying antibiotic pollution at levels high enough to promote drug resistance and harm aquatic life, a new study warns. The study estimated the scale of global river contamination from human antibiotics use. Researchers calculated that about 8,500 tons of antibiotics -- nearly one-third of what people consume annually -- end up in river systems around the world each year even after in many c…

Every year about 8,500 tons of antibiotics come from our wastewater into river systems worldwide, as researchers have now calculated for the first time. This environmental impact is high enough in many places to damage aquatic organisms such as fish or algae. Environmental pollution can also promote drug resistance in bacteria and make the antibiotics so ineffective. Further accumulation could lead to even more [...] The article How antibiotics …