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The Source and Distribution of Tetracycline Antibiotics in China: A Review
Summary
This review tracks the sources and spread of tetracycline antibiotics through the Chinese environment, from animal farms and hospitals into water, soil, and even the air. These antibiotics accumulate because they are not fully broken down by the body and are overused in agriculture. While focused on antibiotics, the findings connect to microplastics research because microplastics can absorb and transport antibiotic residues, potentially spreading both antibiotic resistance and chemical contamination through the food chain.
In recent years, antibiotics have been listed as a new class of environmental pollutants. Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) used in human medical treatment, animal husbandry and agricultural production are the most widely used antibiotics. Due to their wide range of activities and low cost, their annual consumption is increasing. TCs cannot be completely metabolized by humans and animals. They can be abused or overused, causing the continuous accumulation of TCs in the ecological environment and potential negative effects on non-target organisms. These TCs may spread into the food chain and pose a serious threat to human health and the ecology. Based on the Chinese environment, the residues of TCs in feces, sewage, sludge, soil and water were comprehensively summarized, as well as the potential transmission capacity of air. This paper collected the concentrations of TCs in different media in the Chinese environment, contributing to the collection of a TC pollutant database in China, and facilitating the monitoring and treatment of pollutants in the future.
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