cycle of veterinary antibiotics in the ecosystem

Summary

In summary, antibiotics are poorly absorbed in the gut of animals (Jjemba, 2002). As a consequence a large part of the initial compound is excreted. From the application in livestock to manure, the range of excreted antibiotic residues lies between 17-90%. Part of these residues enters the environment through direct application on the field or through run off from the storage. After excretion the residues can also be re-transformed to the initial compound, and thus become active again (Sarmah, 2006). In this literature review we focus on the dispersal of the most frequently used antibiotic classes for veterinary purposes and its residues in the ecosystem.