Common Antibiotics in Wastewater of Sina and Besat Hospitals, Hamadan, Iran

Background & Aims of the Study: Antibiotics utilize with the aim of improving human,animal and plant health; also, for treating infections caused by pathogenic bacteria. When thesecompounds introduce into ecosystems, could affect the microbial community and jeopardizehuman health. Therefore, the aim of present study is to determination of the presence of sixcommon utilized antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin, Sulfamethoxazole,Imipenem and Cefixime) in wastewater effluent of Sina and Besat hospitals in Hamadan, Iran.Methods: This study was descriptive-applied type. Sampling was conducted as compoundsamples from nearest manhole to hospitals containing toilets wastewater. Samples weretransferred into the laboratory in dark conditions at 4°C and after centrifugation, passed through0.45μ filters. Then, samples were extracted up to 24h and kept at -18°C until analysis. Preparedsamples measured via HPLC (High Pressured Liquid Chromatography) system.Results: Data analysis indicated the presence of large and unfavorable amounts of threeantibiotics including Amoxicillin, Cefixime and Imipenem in hospital wastewaters of Sinahospital, so that; mean concentration of identified antibiotics for Sina hospital was 5.86, 10.85and 25.53 μg/L, respectively. Also, none of the most common antibiotics were observed inwastewater from Besat hospital.Conclusion: Results showed that great difference between measured antibiotics from hospitals’wastewater is due to intensive fluctuations in quantity and quality of effluent wastewater fromhospitals. Generally, identified amounts of three antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Cefixime andImipenem) represent improper status of presence of residuals in Sina hospital’s effluentwastewater which mixing this flow in urban wastewater; this flow could result in increasingconcerns about entering antibiotic compounds into environment.

Keywords:

Antibioticswastewater of HospitalsHPLCHamadanIran