Influence of Select Antibiotics on Vibrio fischeri and Desmodesmus subspicatus at μg L⁻¹ Concentrations

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is a contemporary reality and it is necessary to understand more about the effects of this presence on organisms. The purpose of this work was to assess the ecotoxicity of antibiotics metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim, and sulphamethoxazole (single and mixture) in Vibrio fischeri and Desmodesmus subspicatus at μg L⁻¹ concentrations. The evaluation of the toxic effect of the antibiotics on V. fischeri and D. subspicatus was based on fluorescence and bioluminescence tests, respectively, using nominal concentrations. When tested individually, the four antibiotics gave rise to a toxic effect on the evaluated organisms. Sulphamethoxazole caused a higher toxic effect on V. fischeri and D. subspicatus from 7.81 to 500 μg L⁻¹. Trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole showed hormesis for the concentrations, which ranged from 7.81 to 62.5 μg L⁻¹. The mixture of antibiotics induced a toxic effect on the V. fischeri and D. subspicatus organisms (from 0.03 to 1 μg L⁻¹ concentrations) than when the antibiotics were evaluated individually. These results were significant since water quality problems are widespread all over the word, and emerging pollutants such as antibiotics have been detected in the aquatic environment in very low concentrations.