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[Guest guest]

via chris gupta:

 

Plants uptake antibiotics

 

Routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock may be

contaminating the environment

Holly Dolliver, the lead scientist in this study,

notes that antibiotics consumed by plants may be of

particular concern to the organic farming industry.

 

 

 

MADISON, WI, JULY 09, 2007- Scientists at the

University of Minnesota have been evaluating the

impact of antibiotic feeding in livestock production

on the environment. This particular study, funded by

the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),

evaluated whether food crops accumulate antibiotics

from soils spread with manure that contains

antibiotics. Results from the study are published in

the July-August 2007 issue of the Journal of

Environmental Quality. The research was also presented

in Indianapolis, IN at the Annual Soil Science Society

of America Meeting in November 2006.

 

Plant uptake was evaluated in a greenhouse study

involving three food crops: corn, lettuce, and potato.

Plants were grown on soil modified with liquid hog

manure containing Sulfamethazine, a commonly used

veterinary antibiotic. This antibiotic was taken up by

all three crops. Concentrations of antibiotics were

found in the plant leaves. Concentrations in plant

tissue also increased as the amount of antibiotics

present in the manure increased. It also diffused into

potato tubers, which suggests that root crops, such as

potatoes, carrots, and radishes, that directly come in

contact with soil may be particularly vulnerable to

antibiotic contamination.

 

The ability of plants to absorb antibiotics raises the

potential for contamination of human food supply.

However, Satish Gupta, group leader notes “The adverse

impacts of consuming plants that contain small

quantities of antibiotics are largely unknown”.

Consumption of antibiotics in plants may cause

allergic reactions in sensitive populations, such as

young children.

There is also concern that consuming antibiotics may

lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance,

which can render antibiotics ineffective.

 

Holly Dolliver, the lead scientist in this study,

notes that antibiotics consumed by plants may be of

particular concern to the organic farming industry.

Manure is often the main source of crop nutrients for

organic food production, since regulations prohibit

the use of synthetic fertilizers.

According to the USDA, producers must manage animal

materials in a manner that does not contribute to

contamination of crops by residues of prohibited

substances, which includes antibiotics.

 

However, manures containing antibiotics are not

formally banned or prohibited.

 

Further research is needed to investigate the presence

of antibiotics in edible parts of plants, especially

vegetables that are consumed raw, and how different

plants absorb different antibiotic compounds.

Research is ongoing at the University of Minnesota to

further investigate the potential fate and transport

of antibiotics introduced to the environment from

livestock operations.

 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/ssso-pua071107.php#

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , dar <dobbie606 wrote:

>

> via chris gupta:

>

> Plants uptake antibiotics

>

> Routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock may be

> contaminating the environment

> Holly Dolliver, the lead scientist in this study,

> notes that antibiotics consumed by plants may be of

> particular concern to the organic farming industry.

 

And people wonder why there's an epidemic of obesity in the US.

 

Contrary to what most of the public believes, antibiotics aren't

routinely fed to livestock and poultry to prevent disease but to

cause them to grow faster, bigger, and fatter. For example, one can

get a chicken from hatching to table size in 7 weeks with antibiotics

whereas it takes 9 weeks without antibiotics.

 

I don't know what the situation is today, but in the past many

poultry companies have been owned by pharmaceutical companies. The

pharmaceutical companies made a lot of their profits by selling to

their poultry companies.