The presence of antibiotics in wastewater and treated drinking water is of concern due to the potential for enhanced antibiotic resistance. It is important, therefore, to understand the fate of antibiotics during water treatment processes, in particular whether antibacterial activity is removed. This study examines the effects of ozonation on roxithromycin. Previous studies suggest roxithromycin ozonation products may retain antibacterial activity. In this study, ozonation was performed by dosing aqueous ozone into roxithromycin solutions. Reaction mixtures were quenched with indigo carmine and the resultant products were analyzed using HPLC and LC-MS. Product mixtures were assessed for antibacterial activity using a biological assay employing Staphylococcus epidermidis. Thus far, ozonated samples have not demonstrated differences in activity from standard solutions containing an equal concentration of roxithromycin, which suggests ozonation products do not retain activity. Current work is focused on varying pH and DOC during ozonation to influence the distribution of products formed.

Effects of ozonation on the antibacterial activity of the macrolide roxithromycin

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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