Veterinary Antibiotics, Release in the Environment and its Impact on Soil, Plant and Human Health

Veterinary Antibiotics are widely used in Iran and elsewhere in the world to deal with livestock and poultry diseases, due to increased demand for meat and dairy products in the community. Most of these antibiotics are excreted in the urine and feces of livestock and poultry and these excrements are used as manure by farmers in fields and gardens. This issue has raised concerns about the release of antibiotics in the environment. Increasing the concentration of these compounds in agricultural environments may lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, and ultimately affect the health of soil, plant, and humans.

In this article, a brief overview of the use of antibiotics in the world and Iran, ways to release it in the environment by livestock and poultry manure, its effect on the microbial community of the soil, the accumulation of antibiotics in the edible parts of plants and its impact on the health of human has been studied. Also, the effect of composting livestock and poultry manure before entering the fields and gardens as a suitable strategy to prevent the occurrence of these compounds into the soil has also been studied. Finally, existing research gaps and suggestions for a more accurate understanding of this issue in Iran has been declared.

Most Veterinary antibiotics added to agricultural land are absorbed by plant roots. This leads to their bioaccumulation in plant tissues and toxicity to plants. The type of treatments performed before the introduction of livestock manure into the field determines the final concentration of antibiotics introduced into the environment.

There are significant research gaps in the release of antibiotics into the environment. In Iran, the concentration of various antibiotics in manure and poultry as well as their fate in soil, plants and humans should be investigated.