Distribution of antibiotics in the vadose zone in Xiaodian Sewage Irrigation Area, Northern China

Abstract

Because of water shortages, the Xiaodian area in northern China had a long history of sewage irrigation. To study the distribution of antibiotics in the vadose zone, a sewage sample and 5 soil profiles were collected and analyzed. Macrolides and Fluoroquinolones were the main antibiotics observed in the shallow vadose zone. The contents of antibiotics in the soil profile nearby the sewage irrigation area were 2-3 times greater than in the groundwater irrigation area, indicating that sewage irrigation has had a significant impact on the contents of antibiotics in the soil. The elevation of antibiotic contents during the wet season is likely related to the fluctuating water level within the shallow vadose zone. The distribution of antibiotics is influenced by the flow direction of irrigation water. Moreover, the possibility of introducing antibiotics into the soil of the shallow vadose via the lateral recharge of sewage in the Beizhang Drainage Canal can not be excluded. Approximately 50 % of Fluoroquinolones were reduced in the upper 50 cm of the soil zone and 70 % at 80 cm depth. Tetracyclines may have experienced significant lateral migration. Macrolides and Sulfonamides (SMs) have similar soil profile distributions, with a concentration decrease down to 20 cm depth.