[USCC] antibiotics from livestock and compost

[Allison L H Jack]

Hi Lynda, Gary and Will,

Most antibiotics are unstable under high temperatures, so hot composting 
can help reduce their levels in livestock manure before application to soil.

Here are some recent papers on the topic.

-Allison

Title: 
<http://apps.isiknowledge.com/full_record.do?product=WOS&search_mode=AdvancedSearch&qid=1&SID=2CGaJ3pGe6DN8BNlCfm&page=1&doc=2>Composting 
rapidly reduces levels of extractable oxytetracycline in manure from 
therapeutically treated beef calves
Author(s): Arikan OA, Sikora LJ, Mulbry W, et al.
Source: BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY   Volume: 98   Issue: 1   Pages: 
169-176   Published: JAN 2007

Abstract: Oxytetracychne (OTC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used in 
livestock production. The widespread use and relative persistence of OTC 
may encourage development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The objective 
of this study was to determine whether composting would substantially 
reduce the concentration of OTC found in manure from medicated animals. The 
effect of OTC on composting was also investigated. Five beef calves were 
medicated for 5 days with 22 mg/kg/day of OTC. Approximately 23% of the OTC 
fed to the calves was recovered in the manure. Manure samples collected 
from calves prior to and after medication were mixed with straw and 
woodchips, and aliquots of the subsequent mixtures were treated in 
laboratory composters for 35 days. In addition, aliquots of the 
OTC-containing mixture were incubated at 25 degrees C or sterilized 
followed by incubation at 25 degrees C. The presence of OTC did not appear 
to affect composting processes. Within the first six days of composting, 
levels of extractable OTC in the compost mixture decreased from 115 +/- 8 
mu g/g dry weight to less than 6 +/- 1 mu g/g dry weight (a 95% reduction). 
In contrast, levels of extractable OTC in room temperature incubated and 
sterilized mixtures decreased only 12-25% after 37 and 35 days, 
respectively. Levels of total heterotrophic bacteria and OTC-resistant 
bacteria in the finished compost mixture were roughly 30-fold higher and 
10-fold lower, respectively, than levels in the mixture prior to 
composting. Although the basis of the OTC disappearance during composting 
is not known, the preponderence of OTC-sensitive bacteria and the decrease 
of OTC-resistant bacteria in the finished compost suggests that OTC 
residues have been rendered biologically inactive or unavailable. (c) 2005 
Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Title: 
<http://apps.isiknowledge.com/full_record.do?product=WOS&colname=WOS&search_mode=CitingArticles&qid=10&SID=2CGaJ3pGe6DN8BNlCfm&page=1&doc=2>Antibiotic 
degradation during manure composting
Author(s): Dolliver H, Gupta S, Noll S
Source: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY   Volume: 37   Issue: 3   Pages: 
1245-1253   Published: MAY-JUN 2008

Abstract: On-farm manure management practices, such as composting, may 
provide a practical and economical option for reducing antibiotic 
concentrations in manure before land application, thereby minimizing the 
potential for environmental contamination. The objective of this study was 
to quantify degradation of chlortetracycline, monensin, sulfamethazine, and 
tylosin in spiked turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) litter during composting. 
Three manure composting treatments were evaluated: a control treatment 
(manure pile with no disturbance or adjustments after initial mixing), a 
managed compost pile (weekly mixing and moisture content adjustments), and 
vessel composting. Despite significant differences in temperature, mass, 
and nutrient losses between the composting treatments and the control, 
there was no difference in antibiotic degradation among the treatments. 
Chlortetracycline concentrations declined rapidly during composting, 
whereas monensin and tylosin concentrations declined gradually in all three 
treatments. There was no degradation of sulfamethazine in any of 
treatments. At the conclusion of the composting period (22-35 d), there 
was >99% reduction in chlortetracycline, whereas monensin and tylosin 
reduction ranged from 54 to 76% in all three treatments. Assuming 
first-order decay, the half-lives for chlortetracycline, monensin, and 
tylosin were 1, 17, and 19 d, respectively. These data suggest that managed 
compositing in a manure pile or in a vessel is not better than the control 
treatment in degrading certain antibiotics in manure. Therefore, low-level 
manure management, such as stockpiling, after an initial adjustment of 
water content may be a practical and economical option for livestock 
producers in reducing antibiotic levels in manure before land application.

Title: 
<http://apps.isiknowledge.com/full_record.do?product=WOS&search_mode=AdvancedSearch&qid=14&SID=2CGaJ3pGe6DN8BNlCfm&page=1&doc=5>Factors 
affecting the degradation of amoxicillin in composting toilet
Author(s): Kakimoto T, Funamizu N
Source: CHEMOSPHERE   Volume: 66   Issue: 11   Pages: 
2219-2224   Published: FEB 2007

Abstract: The biological and non-biological factors that affect the 
degradation of amoxicillin in the composting process of feces have been 
investigated. The effect of living bacteria and the enzyme (beta-lactamase) 
on amoxicillin decay was examined, and our results indicated that the 
biological effects are likely to be negligible. Consequently, the effect of 
phosphate, ammonia and pH level as non-biological factors was investigated 
by monitoring the reduction rate of amoxicillin in phosphate and ammonia 
buffer solutions with several pH levels. Each reduction rate constant was 
integrated by a simulation model, and the each calculated amoxicillin 
reduction profile was compared to the reduction profiles of amoxicillin in 
the composting process of feces. The calculated results corresponded almost 
exactly to the experimental profiles. We therefore concluded that the 
degradation of arnoxicillin in a toilet matrix was dependent on the 
concentration of ammonia, phosphate and hydroxyl ion. (c) 2006 Elsevier 
Ltd. All rights reserved.

Title: 
<http://apps.isiknowledge.com/full_record.do?product=WOS&search_mode=AdvancedSearch&qid=14&SID=2CGaJ3pGe6DN8BNlCfm&page=1&doc=7>Influence 
of temperature on survival and conjugative transfer of multiple 
antibiotic-resistant Plasmids in chicken manure and compost microcosms
Author(s): Guan J, Wasty A, Grenier C, et al.
Source: POULTRY SCIENCE   Volume: 86   Issue: 4   Pages: 
610-613   Published: APR 2007

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine if mobile plasmids 
carrying antibiotic-resistant genes could survive and be transferred in 
chicken manure maintained under conditions similar to those found in 
commercial cage layer operations and during composting. Escherichia coli J5 
harboring a self-transmissible plasmid (RP4) and E. coli C600 harboring a 
mobile plasmid (pIE723) were used as plasmid donors; E. coli CV601 was used 
as a plasmid recipient. At 23 degrees C both plasmids were transferred to 
E. coli CV601 in chicken manure and in compost microcosms that consisted of 
a mixture of chicken manure and peat. The transfer frequencies ranged from 
8.1 x 10(-5) to 2.4 x 10(-3) per donor cell in manure and from 2.4 x 10(-5) 
to 5.5 x 10(-4) per donor cell in compost microcosms. After 45 d of 
incubation at 23 degrees C, RP4, but not pIE723, was recovered by an 
exogenous isolation method although their E. coli hosts were not cultured 
from the microcosms. However, when the temperatures of the compost 
microcosms were elevated to 50 degrees C or above, neither the plasmids nor 
their E. coli hosts could be detected. The results suggested that 
composting of chicken manure at high temperatures could help prevent the 
spread of antibiotic-resistant genes via plasmids in the environment.

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Allison L H Jack
Graduate Student
Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology
http://pppmb.cals.cornell.edu
Cornell University
335 Plant Science
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.273.5762
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