Unlimited antibiotics

2000/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

In the European Union 10,000 tons of antibiotics are used annually, half of which are intended for animals.

Some antibiotics do not fully degrade as they pass through the body and into the wastewater system, or they can accumulate in the soil along with the feces of rural houses and reach the rivers. Some believe that these antibiotics accumulated in soil and water are responsible for the resistance that certain diseases have developed to antibiotics. However, there is no law, national or international, that limits the amount of antibiotics deposited in the environment.

The United Nations only says that if more than 7.5 grams of antibiotic accumulates per hectare of farm, an environmental impact study is necessary. However, this limit has recently been raised to 75 grams. Not all veterinarians and scientists agree with this rise. Research has been scarce.

The research presented by the United States, for example, did not include the development of antibiotic resistance. But even if there is no evidence, suspicion is there.