Consumer awareness of antimicrobal residues in drinking water

This study was conducted to assess the awareness among water consumers in urban and rural areas. In Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, 505 consumers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire and checklist regarding their awareness of water quality and safety issues. A total of 18.4% of the consumers were not aware of the adverse effects of antimicrobial residues in water, while 8.1% of them were buying antibiotics without a medical prescription. The awareness was significantly influenced (P<0.05) by the consumer's educational level and topographical location. The findings revealed that the majority of the respondents are consuming tap water (52.3%), followed by bottled water (43%) and water from natural sources (4.8%), respectively. The results also revealed that the sources of information regarding antibiotics' effects come mostly from medical doctors (43%) and pharmacologists (10.5%), while around 41% of all information regarding antibiotics comes from scientific literature and social media. Around 50% of the respondents have revealed that in their own country it is very easy to get the antibiotics and other drugs without a medical prescription, even if 47.5% of the respondents indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic a doctor was available to prescribe therapy to a patient.