Antibiotic Residues in Waste Impacted Surface Waters from Lagos, Nigeria

In the past few decades, there has been increasing interest and concern about the environmental presence of human and veterinary pharmaceutically active chemicals (PHACs). and the implication of such on ecosystem health at organismal and population levels This study was conceived, to identify and quantify the concentrations of an important sub-group i.e., the pharmaceuticals. Which have been shown to have ecological implications on various aquatic life-forms. In surface water bodies in Lagos Nigeria.

Study Design: water specimens taken from six locations in the city of Lagos in Nigeria were analysed using SPE coupled with tandem LC/MS.

Place and Duration of Study: The project, split site collaboration. Spanned a period of nine months between 30.09.2013 to 30.04.2014. Analysis of water specimens was done at the IWW Water Centre. Mulheim, Germany.

Methodology: Analysis of water samples were carried out by IWW Water Centre, Mulheim, Germany according to published guidelines or validated in-house methods. Waters Acquity ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-TQD/PDA and UPLC-TQS) (Milford) was used to carry out LC-MS/MS analyses. For GC-MS analyses an Agilent GC-MS system (6890 GC and 5973 MSD single quadrupole mass analyzer was used.

Results: In surface water samples, 12 pharmaceutical agents were detected. Of these Six antibiotics, Viz: Chloramphenicol,Erythromycin,Erythromycin-A dehydrate,Sulfadiazine, and Sulphaamethoxazole.

Trimetoprim were detected out of thirteen screened for, at environmentally significant concentrations.

Conclusion: This study has established the precence and locational prevalence of primary antibiotic and antibiotic degradates in surface waters in Lagos, Nigeria More studies are required to investigate the ecological implications of such presences.