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34 drug samples recorded in Kai Tak River are the world's largest antibiotic residues or create superbugs

2022-02-15T08:07:29.617Z


Humans pollute river water and suffer at any time. City University of Hong Kong has participated in global research. It took three years and research groups to visit all over the world and obtained more than 1,000 river samples. Drug pollution found in rivers all over the world


Humans pollute river water and suffer at any time.

City University of Hong Kong has participated in global research. It took three years and research groups to visit all over the world and obtained more than 1,000 river samples.

Among them, it was found that there are drug pollution problems in rivers all over the world. The drug concentration of more than one quarter of the sampling points has potential toxicity risks to the environment and human health. Among them, 34 commonly used drug samples were recorded in the Kai Tak River in Hong Kong, which is the highest in the world. Highest record.

Among the 258 rivers studied, two rivers in Hong Kong, the Kai Tak River and the Lam Tsuen River, were ranked higher.

If antibiotics are recorded in rivers, environmental bacteria may become resistant, and they may evolve into superbugs, reducing the therapeutic effect of antibiotics.

The research group recommends strengthening sewage treatment and educating the public on the proper disposal of expired medicines to reduce pollution.


The study covers a total of 258 rivers in 137 countries and regions

The Global Drug Monitoring Project, led by the University of York in the United Kingdom, is the first global drug monitoring study covering seven continents, 137 countries and regions and 258 rivers, including 36 countries and area.

The study found that drug pollution is common in rivers all over the world, and many places in Asia and Africa are more serious.

Hong Kong's two rivers, the Kai Tak River and the Lam Tsuen River, were ranked as the 29th and 70th most polluted rivers in the world, respectively.

The water of Kai Tak River is mainly discharged from the sewage treatment plants in Sha Tin and Tai Po, while the water of Lam Tsuen River is discharged from nearby livestock and town sewage.

The study included 61 commonly used drugs in the test, of which the Kai Tak River became the world's most polluted river with 34 drugs recorded.

Lai Rongsheng, a postdoctoral researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, pointed out that society's economic status and median age can affect the results.

He explained that if the median age is higher and rich countries have better medical conditions, they use more medicines and have a higher chance of causing pollution; the more backward places generally do not have large-scale sewage treatment systems, and wastewater is often directly into rivers, causing pollution.

After the drug contaminates the water, it will cause potential risks to the ecology.

He took antibiotics as an example. Once the safety threshold is exceeded, antibiotics will pose a high risk to the environment, and may also increase the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, leading to the birth of superbugs.

Lai Rongsheng, a postdoctoral researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, pointed out that after drugs pollute water, it will cause potential risks to the ecology.

He took antibiotics as an example. Once the safety threshold is exceeded, antibiotics will pose a high risk to the environment, and may also increase the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, leading to the birth of superbugs.

(Photo provided by City University of Hong Kong)

10 million people expected to die from drug-resistant superbugs by 2050

Leung Mei-yee, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, Chair Professor and Acting Head of the Department of Chemistry at CityU, pointed out that the concentration of drugs in a quarter of the sampling points in the world exceeds the standard.

According to available data, 5 million people worldwide died from drug-resistant bacteria in 2019, and the World Health Organization estimates that the number of deaths will double after 2050, that is, 10 million people will die from these superbugs.

If no action is taken, the contaminated water will become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Drug contamination can also affect marine life, such as making fish hermaphrodites, making them sterile.

Liang Meiyi, director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, chair professor and acting director of the Department of Chemistry at CityU, pointed out that currently a quarter of the sampling points around the world have drug concentrations exceeding the standard.

According to available data, 5 million people worldwide died of drug-resistant bacteria in 2019, and the World Health Organization estimates that the number of deaths will double after 2050, that is, 10 million people will die from these superbugs.

(Screenshot of the City University of Hong Kong press conference)

Liang Meiyi believes that to treat sewage, we must first find the source of pollution and then prescribe the right remedy. At present, the source of pollution in developing places is factories that do not have large-scale sewage treatment and collection. They generally use septic tanks instead. After rain, the water inside will flow through muddy water. Into the river for secondary pollution, and most countries or regions still do not have drug regulatory policies, people can easily buy a variety of drugs, and improper disposal methods will also cause pollution.

Leung suggested that some high-risk drugs should be included in doctor's prescriptions. People should also be taught the correct way to dispose of drugs, such as returning drugs to clinics for disposal as chemical waste after they expire, so as to reduce sewage discharge.

Air pollution from dryer microfibers affects respiratory and digestive systems

A research group from the City University of Hong Kong also conducted a study on microfiber air pollution in clothes dryers.

Among them, it was found that the dryer releases more microfibers (including microplastics) than the washing machine, and is a potential main source of air pollution by microfibers. About 430,000 to 560,000 microfibers are released within 15 minutes of use, which means that a A clothes dryer can emit up to 120 million microfibres annually, 1.4 to 40 times more than a washing machine.

Microfiber release from polyester (synthetic fibers) increases with increasing laundry load in the dryer, but not for cotton (natural material).

Leung pointed out that exposure to microplastics in the air has adverse effects on human health. If people inhale or ingest microfibers, such as causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and irritating the respiratory and digestive systems.

At present, there is a serious lack of research on airborne microfiber pollution caused by clothes dryers. Untreated microfibers are directly emitted into the air, which may have a more serious impact on the environment.

He recommends installing additional filtration systems in dryer ventilation ducts or prioritizing clothing from natural materials to reduce exposure to airborne microfibers.

In Tuen Mun and other districts, incinerators with excessive air pollution last year will be launched by the Environmental Protection Department: to ensure compliance with the requirements of air pollution | Concentrations of many pollutants rebound under the epidemic, ozone concentration is the second highest air pollution in 10 years 2021 | Roadside nitrogen dioxide exceeds 6 times the standard Tuen Mun has the highest suspended particle concentration in Hong Kong

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Source: hk1

All news articles on 2022-02-15

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