[Effects of residues of anti-infective agents in animal excretions on slurry treatment and the soil]

Abstract

Application of antibiotics and feed additives in animal husbandry generates populations of resistant bacteria in the gut which are introduced via slurry into the ecosystem soil. Nevertheless the influence to the ecosystem soil seems to be low, due to inactivation and dilution in slurry and soil. The probability that this pathway contributes to the problems of antibiotic resistance in human medicine is low. Aerobic and anaerobic treatment of slurry is more or less influenced by residuals of some feed additives and antibiotics. The aerobic-thermophilic treatment seems generally to be more sensitive than the anaerobic biogas production, except in some special cases. No evidence could be found that residuals of antibiotics in slurry have a negative influence on the ecosystem soil, due to preliminary results obtained by similar field trials with disinfectants. The application of antibiotics in aquaculture must be regarded more critically.