Agricultural antibiotics overuse contaminates China's tap water

Want China Times, Chen Chia-lun and Staff Reporter 2014-12-28

Ducklings at a farm in Fujian province, April 14, 2013. (File photo/CNS)

Overuse of antibiotics in duck farming has been attributed to pollution and serious contamination of water in China, after excessive amounts of antibiotics were detected in water in several provinces and cities in the country, according to a report from state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

A CCTV reporter in collaboration with researchers found that a high level of antibiotics was detected in surface water in some areas of the country, with some traces of the medications discovered in tap water for household use in Nanjing.

During an unannounced visit to Shandong in eastern China, the reporter discovered that Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical Company had discharged large amounts of water contaminated by antibiotics at a level much higher than permitted.

While traveling to places in northeastern, northern and eastern China between late October and early November, the CCTV reporter and researchers collected samples of water from areas of water resources and drainage ditches near pharmaceutical companies and poultry breeding farms in these regions. The samples were sent to labs for testing and found to contain antibiotics.

Water in estuaries of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers as well as in some regions along the Huangpu, Pearl and Liao rivers were found to contain antibiotics. A section of the Pearl River in Guangzhou was found seriously contaminated by very high levels of antibiotics.

Veterinary prescription drugs have been found to be on sale in some regions without permits.

A duck farmer admitted that controls on meat exports were usually stricter than those for domestic consumption and that farmers themselves did not dare to eat locally raised duck meat.