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General News on Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-05-28
The most common antibiotic in rivers was trimethoprim
According to a new study by researchers from the University of York in the UK, Ghana would have rivers contaminated with dangerous levels of antibiotics.
The study, the first of its kind, found that antibiotic concentrations in certain waterways were 300 times higher than safe concentrations.
The research also tested rivers in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria and Pastikan, whose rivers were the most contaminated.
"The study found that high-risk sites were generally adjacent to wastewater treatment systems, landfills or sewage dumps and in some areas of political unrest, including the Israeli and Palestinian border. ", according to a statement from the university.
The sites where antibiotics most widely exceeded "safe" levels were in Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan, and Nigeria, while one site in Austria ranked first among European monitored sites.
The researchers examined 14 antibiotics commonly used in rivers across 72 countries.
According to the study, safety limits were mostly exceeded in Asia and Africa.
But he also notes that sites in Europe, North America and South America were also heavily contaminated, recalling that antibiotic contamination was a "global problem".
Professor Alistair Boxall, theme leader of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute, reportedly said the results were "very revealing and disturbing, demonstrating the widespread contamination of river systems with antibiotic compounds."
"Solving the problem will be a daunting challenge and will require investment in waste and wastewater infrastructure, tighter regulation and remediation of already contaminated sites," he added.
Scientists are concerned that antibiotics found in rivers will cause bacteria resistance, which means they can no longer be used in medicines for humans.
The UN estimates that the increase in antibiotic resistance could kill around 10 million people by 2050.
In Ghana, some groups in society have worried about the rate of antibiotic abuse.
The abuse of antibiotics increases the spread of a phenomenon called antibiotic resistance, which, according to the UN, could exceed the annual number of deaths from cancer, which he describes as a "global health emergency".
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