Review on Biogeochemical Characteristics of Typical Antibiotics in Groundwater in China

Abstract

The problem of antibiotic contamination in the environment has attracted much attention in recent years. However, studies on antibiotic contamination in groundwater have only emerged in the last 15 years. In this study, we systematically reviewed the detection methods, distribution characteristics, risk, fate, and sources of antibiotics in groundwater in China, listed the concentrations of the main antibiotic types, and obtained the maximum concentrations by comparing the literature published in the last 10 years. The results show that 65 antibiotics were detected in groundwater in China, with sulfonamides and quinolones receiving the most attention. Antibiotic concentrations are influenced by hydrogeological conditions and seasonal variations, and the ecological risk in most areas is low to medium risk, which is relatively manageable. The highest concentrations found in most of the literatures were in the range of 10–1000 ng/L, but the maximum concentration can reach 47,444.5 ng/L, which requires extra attention. In addition, this study makes recommendations for improving groundwater monitoring surveys and protection measures to prevent the antibiotic contamination of groundwater more effectively.