Antibiotics composting

Keywords Antibiotics, Biodegradation, Composting, Emerging contaminants, Sludge treatment... 

Table 7 Recent investigations on biodegradation of antibiotics in composting process... 

Reference Composting method Feeding materials Target antibiotics... 

Dolliver H, Gupta S, Noll S (2008) Antibiotic degradation during manure composting. J Environ Qual 37 1245-1253... 

Kim K-R, Owens G, Ok YS, Park W-K, Lee DB, Kwon S-I (2012) Decline of extractable antibiotics in manure-based composts during composting. Waste Manage 32 110-116... 

Arikan OA, Mulbry W, Rice C (2009) Management of antibiotic residues from agricultural sources use of composting to reduce chlortetracycline residues in beef manure from treated animals. J Hazard Mater 164 483 189... 

Examples of sites with the characteristics mentioned above and, thus, potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance are common in areas subjected to human activities (Fig. 2). Particularly, sites in which the use or disposal of antimicrobials is frequent, such as animal farms or municipal waste water treatment plants, are likely habitats to favour the spreading of antibiotic resistance. In Europe, the use of antibiotics as growing factors in animal husbandry is prohibited since 2006 [47]. However, animal farming still represents a critical point for antibiotic resistance development and dissemination. Among the major main routes of dispersal are manure, which sometimes is used directly or after composting in agriculture as fertilizers [48, 49], and animal farms waste water [50-53]. 

Permitted If the material is known to be free from chemical and antibiotic residues when applied to the land battery manure, municipal compost (recognised), farmyard manure (bought in), slaughterhouse waste, mushroom compost, tannery waste, recognised proprietary organic manures e.g. Grancreta and Regenor... 

Dolliver, H., Gupta, S., and Noll, S. 2008. Antibiotic degradation dnring manure composting. Journal of Environmental Quality, 37 1245-53. 

The actinomycetes (order Actinomycetales) are nonmotile organisms that may be considered as intermediate forms between bacteria and molds. They occur abundantly in soils, composts, river and lake bottoms, in dust particles, and upon plant surfaces. The order is divided into three families comprising a number of genera. These genera are represented in nature by many thousands of species, of which several hundred have been scientifically characterized. Recent interest in the antibiotics elaborated by the actinomycetes first centered on the substance streptothricin, isolated from Streptomyces lavendulae (formerly named Actinomyces lavendulae). When this antibiotic was found to exhibit dangerous delayed toxicity effects, attention was turned to streptomycin, which had been isolated from the culture medium of a related organism. 

After their utilization as plastic items, PHAs can not only be composted, but can also be easily depolymerized to a valuable source of optically pure R-(-)-configured bifunctional hydroxy acids which are of interest as synthons for chiral high-value chemicals such as vitamins, antibiotics, pheromones and aromatics (Ren et al. 2005). Some of these acids also exhibit important biological properties such as antimicrobial and antiviral activity (Ruth et al. 2007). 

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