The effect and accumulation of antibiotics and their residues in horticultural plants: a review

Antibiotics have been used in the agriculture in large quantities since they were discovered. In animal husbandry these compounds are used not only to do treatments for sick animals but for prevention of diseases and also for growth promotion. The extreme use of these antibiotics led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Today it is a danger that might be considered very seriously worldwide. In the European Union, the application of antibiotics as growth promoters is permitted since 2006. However, it is also known, from statistical data, that there are big differences in antibiotics use among the EU countries. The antibiotics that are applied in animal husbandry go to the arable fields through the manure application. From the soils crops and agricultural plants might take them and absorb, accumulate into their own tissues. There are only few studies demonstrating the harmful effects of antibiotics in humans or animals, however, several experiments were conducted to prove the deleterious effects of antibiotics in plants. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of antibiotics and their residues in horticultural plants. The consumption of the raw or processed vegetables with the accumulated antibiotics and their metabolites may result high risk on human health. The results of studies in this subject showed that the use of antibiotics must be continuously controlled in both human and animal applications. There is a necessity to inform of farmers (whom are producing and using manure on their fields) about the dangers and risks of over exposed antibiotics in the soil-plant-animal human food chain.