| Antibiotics have been increasingly used in veterinary and human medicine. Excessive use of antibiotics can lead to contamination of the environment, especially water resources. The objective of this study was environmental assessment residual levels of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic in the aqueous matrices in Mianeh. 21 samples were collected from surface water, groundwater, drinking water and the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) of municipal, hospital and livestock and poultry slaughterhouse. The samples were extracted using solid–phase extraction (SPE) method and subsequently were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The results showed that the mean TC concentrations in surface water and groundwater were 8.2 ±2.6 and 25.4 ±12.4 ng/L, respectively. Also, the mean TC concentrations in WWTPs effluent samples of municipal, livestock and poultry slaughterhouse were 266.6 ±115.1, 350 ±130, and 555 ±178.8 ng/L, respectively. Based on the results, the residual TC concentration in water resources near to livestock and poultry was higher than the other sampling areas. Also, in wastewater samples, the maximum TC concentration of 720 ng/L was detected in WWTP effluent of poultry slaughterhouse.
Furthermore, residual TC concentration was not detected in drinking water and hospital WWTP effluents. The results suggested that the uses of tetracycline in veterinary were higher compared with medical uses. Generally, the results of the study suggest the existence of TC antibiotic in surface water, groundwater, the effluents of municipal and livestock and poultry slaughterhouse WWTPs. Therefore, the presence of TC residues even at very low environmental concentrations may lead to water resources contamination and serious environmental problems |