Occurrence of Antibiotics in Water from 13 Fish Hatcheries, 2001-2003

A 2-year study of extensive and intensive fish hatcheries were conducted to assess the general temporal occurrence of antibiotics in aquaculture. Antibiotics were detected in 15% of the water samples collected during the 2001-2002 collection period and in 31% of the samples during the 2003 collection period. Antibiotics were detected more frequently in samples from the extensive hatcheries (14 and 4%) during the 2001-2002 and 2003 collection periods, respectively. The maximum ormetoprim, oxytetracycline, and sulphadimethoxine concentrations were higher in samples from the intensive hatcheries (12, 10, and 36 ug/L-1), respectively, than in samples from the extensive hatcheries (<0.05, 0.31, and 1.2 ug/L-1), respectively. Sulphadimethoxine persisted for a longer period of time (up to 48 days) than ormetoprim (up to 28 days) and oxytetracycline (less than 20 days).

Dietze, J.E., Scribner, E.A., Meyer, M.T., and Kolpin, D.W., 2005, Occurrence of antibiotics in water from 13 fish hatcheries, 2001-2003: International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, v. 85, no. 15, December 2005, p. 1141-1152.