Short description:
Ecotoxicity testing of veterinary antimicrobials detected in agricultural soils and/or surrounding waters because of intensive farming activities. Drugs assayed, alone and in combination, on aquatic model organisms from various trophic levels. Computation of the Combination Index (CI) for the evaluation of synergistic effects. Measurement of various sublethal effects: growth inhibition (algae, plants), disturbance of swimming activity (fish, daphnids), teratogenic effects and transgenerational toxicity (D. magna). Derivation of Predicted No Effect Concentrations and Risk Quotient for the freshwater environment. Evaluation of the resistance potential of bacterial communities in samples from farms where antimicrobial residues have been detected in soil and/or surrounding waters. A culture independent approach (i.e. metagenomics) will be employed. Detection of antimicrobial resistance genes, using PCR.
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