High antibiotic levels in China's water  

报告称地表水含68种抗生素 含量虽低仍具生态风险

近日，有报告称我国地表水中含有68种抗生素，另有90种非抗生素类医药成分被检出。上述结论是专家基于研究新兴环境微量有机污染物和个人护理品(PPCPs)的成分后得出。相关论文已刊登在2014年第9期《科学通报》上，由华东理工大学、同济大学和清华大学的研究团队共同完成。[查看全文]

High concentrations of antibiotics have been found in major Chinese rivers, said Thursday's Beijing News citing a report from the Chinese Science Bulletin, an academic journal.

The report by the East China University of Science and Technology, along with Tongji and Tsinghua universities, analyzed pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in China's surface water. PPCPs include various kinds of cosmetics, prescription medicine, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and sedatives.

China's surface water was found to contain as many as 68 kinds of antibiotic in much higher concentrations than in the water of developed countries. Another 90 kinds of non-antibiotic medical ingredients were also detected.

China produces more than 33,000 tones of PPCPs each year, a possible reason why such a high concentration was found, said the report, adding that 70 percent of China's drugs are antibiotics.

The report also listed the main sources of PPCPs: sewage plants, livestock waste water, pharmaceutical manufacture, hospitals and cropland.

PPCPs are like "invisible enemies" to humans, Yu Gang,of Tsinghua University told Xinhua. "Once discharged into nature, they will be taken in by people via food or water and accumulate in our bodies, impacting on future generations."

How to deal with the problem is a current issue for environmental experts both home and abroad.

In a government work report delivered to the National People's Congress in March, Premier Li Keqiang announced an action plan on clean water this year, part of the "war on pollution."