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Abstract
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Antibiotics, as pollutants of emerging concern, can enter marine environments, rivers, and
lakes and endanger ecology and human health. The purpose of this study was to review the studies
conducted on the presence of antibiotics in water, sediments, and organisms in aquatic
environments (i.e., seas, rivers, and lakes). Most of the reviewed studies were conducted in 2018
(15%) and 2014 (11%). Antibiotics were reported in aqueous media at a concentration of <1 ng/L–
100 μg/L. The results showed that the highest number of works were conducted in the Asian
continent (seas: 74%, rivers: 78%, lakes: 87%, living organisms: 100%). The highest concentration of
antibiotics in water and sea sediments, with a frequency of 49%, was related to fluoroquinolones.
According to the results, the highest amounts of antibiotics in water and sediment were reported as
460 ng/L and 406 ng/g, respectively. In rivers, sulfonamides had the highest abundance (30%).
Fluoroquinolones (with an abundance of 34%) had the highest concentration in lakes. Moreover,
the highest concentration of fluoroquinolones in living organisms was reported at 68,000 ng/g, with
a frequency of 39%. According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that sulfonamides and
fluoroquinolones are among the most dangerous antibiotics due to their high concentrations in the
environment. This review provides timely information regarding the presence of antibiotics in
different aquatic environments, which can be helpful for estimating ecological risks, contamination
levels, and their management.
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