Ecotoxicological assessment of antibiotics: A call for improved consideration of microorganisms

• Antibiotics play a pivotal role in the management of infectious disease in humans, companion animals, livestock, and aquaculture operations at a global scale. Antibiotics are produced, consumed, and released into the environment at an unprecedented scale causing concern that the presence of antibiotic residues may adversely impact aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Herewe critically review the ecotoxicological assessment of antibiotics as related to environmental risk assessment (ERA). We initially discuss the need for more specific protection goals based on the ecosystem service concept, and suggest that the ERA of antibiotics, through the application of a mode of toxic action approach, should make more use of ecotoxicological endpoints targeting microorganisms (especially bacteria) and microbial communities. Key ecosystem services provided by microorganisms and associated ecosystem service-providing units (e.g. taxa or functional groups) are identified. Approaches currently available for elucidating ecotoxicological effects on microorganisms are reviewed in detail and we conclude that microbial community-based tests should be used to complement single-species tests to offer more targeted protection of key ecosystem services. Specifically, we propose that ecotoxicological tests should not only assess microbial community function, but also microbial diversity ('species' richness) and antibiotic susceptibility. Promising areas for future basic and applied research of relevance to ERA are highlighted throughout the text. In this regard, the most fundamental knowledge gaps probably relate to our rudimentary understanding of the ecological roles of antibiotics in nature and possible adverse effects of environmental pollution with subinhibitory levels of antibiotics. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmakologi och toxikologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmacology and Toxicology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Antimicrobials

Ecosystem services

Ecotoxicology

Environmental risk assessment

Microbial ecology

Pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

Antibiotics

Aquatic ecosystems

Drug products

Ecology

Environmental impact

Microbiology

Microorganisms

Risk assessment

Eco-toxicology

Ecosystems

antibiotic agent

ribosome RNA

ecosystem service

environmental fate

environmental risk

microbial community

microorganism

species diversity

antibiotic resistance

environmental protection

enzyme activity

fatty acid analysis

human activities

inhibitory concentration

microbial diversity

microbial growth

microbial respiration

nonhuman

pollution monitoring

priority journal

Review

Animalia

Bacteria (microorganisms)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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