Po-Hsiang Chang, Wei-Teh Jiang, Zhaohui Li*, Jiin-Shuh Jean, Chung-Yih Kuo
Tetracycline’s (TC) are widely used in the treatment of animal diseases, as well as additives in animal feed as a sub-therapeutic dose for animal disease prevention and promotion of animal growth. Due to their extensive use and wide prevalence and persistence in the environment, there might be unforeseeable consequences. The long-term application of livestock excreta can cause the accumulation of antibiotics in the soil, have a negative effect on the ecological environment and result in TC residues. Detection of antibiotics in rivers and lakes has been reported widely. However, a systematic review on discussing the residual conditions in a variety of environmental and behavior of TC, as well as various factors affecting TC adsorption and retention in the environment, is needed and presented here. In the same breadth, the resistance research on animals, plants, and microorganisms and resistant mechanisms and substitutes was also discussed. A holistic overview of the existing detection technologies and the evaluation of environmental impact caused by TC and the latest studies to demonstrate the environmental impact by drug have also been summarized.