Bioavailability of biosolids-borne ciprofloxacin and azithromycin to terrestrial organisms: Microbial toxicity and earthworm responses

Abstract Information on bioavailability of two antibiotic TOrCs, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and azithromycin (AZ), to terrestrial organisms is severely limited, especially in the biosolids context. Responses of two terrestrial organisms, earthworms and microbes, to a range of environmentally relevant concentrations of biosolids-borne CIP and AZ were assessed in laboratory incubation studies involving 3 H-labeled compounds. Earthworm assessments were based on the Earthworm Sub-chronic Toxicity Test (OCSPP 850.3100). Microbial impacts were assessed using respiration and reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR (mRNA) analyses of nutrient (N and P) cycling genes as toxicity markers. Antibiotic extractability and stability during incubations were assessed using sequential extractions with CaCl 2 , methanol:water, and accelerated solvent extraction and analyses using thin layer chromatography. Subsample combustion, in addition to sequential extraction, recovered nearly 100% of the added antibiotic. The two compounds persisted (estimated half-lives ≥ 3 y), but extractable fractions (especially of CIP) decreased over time. Neither biosolids-borne antibiotic significantly impacted overall respiration or N and P cycling. Microbial toxicity responses were minimal; complementary DNA (cDNA) concentrations of ammonia oxidizing bacterial genes were affected, but only initially. Similarly, earthworms showed no apparent response related to toxicity to environmentally relevant (and much greater) concentrations of biosolids-borne CIP and AZ. Earthworms, however, accumulated both compounds, and the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values (dry weight basis) were ~4 (CIP) and ~7 (AZ) in depurated worms and ~20 (CIP and AZ) in un-depurated worms. The microbial and earthworm responses strongly to moderately correlated with “bioaccessible” fractions of the target TOrCs. The results suggest that biosolids-borne CIP and AZ toxicity to terrestrial microbes and earthworms is minimal, but there is a potential for target TOrC entry into ecological food web.