Abstract

SERNA-GALVIS, Efraím A.; MARTINEZ-MENA, Yudy L.; PORRAS, Jazmín  and  TORRES-PALMA, Ricardo A.. Highly consumed antibiotics in Colombia, excretion in urine and the presence in wastewater - a review. Ing. compet. [online]. 2022, vol.24, n.1, e30711267.  Epub Oct 30, 2021. ISSN 0123-3033.  https://doi.org/10.25100/iyc.24i1.11267.

Antibiotics are relevant pharmaceuticals for the treatment of infectious diseases having a microbial origin in humans and animals. These substances are frequently found in the environment, inducing a negative impact. Therefore, the present review focuses on the most consumed antibiotics in Colombia, their excretion via urine and their presence in wastewater, considering reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), research articles, academic reports, and databases. Beta-lactams (mainly penicillins such as amoxicillin, ampicillin and dicloxacillin; and cephalosporins such as cephalexin, ceftriaxone and cephradine) are the most consumed antibiotics in Colombia, followed by fluoroquinolones (such as ciprofloxacin), tetracyclines (such as doxycycline), and macrolides (such as azithromycin). The most consumed antibiotics show excretion percentages (as unchanged substances) in the urine greater than 30%. Additionally, antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, and sulfamethoxazole are frequently found in colombian wastewater and environmental water. It is important to mention that this work is an initial approach on the consumption, excretion and presence of antibiotics in wastewater in Colombia, with information accessible to the general community. Also, this work represents a starting point for future works on pharmaceuticals consumption, impact of antibiotics in environmental water, and research on alternatives for elimination of these substances in aqueous matrices such as urine.

Keywords : antibiotics; pharmaceuticals; excretion; wastewater; urine.

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