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StudyEnvironmental geochemistry and health · 2026

Field-scale occurrence and uptake of antibiotics in lettuce irrigated with reclaimed and conventional waters: risk assessment of treated wastewater reuse.

Elif Yakamercan, Ahmet Aygün, Mehmet Sahin, Bilgehan Nas

Infectious DiseaseStudy

Consuming lettuce irrigated with reclaimed water poses negligible antibiotic risk to children.

Field-scale occurrence and uptake of antibiotics in lettuce irrigated with reclaimed and conventional waters: risk assessment of treated wastewater reuse.

Elif Yakamercan et al. · Environmental geochemistry and health · 2026

Purpose

This field-scale study investigated the occurrence, fate, and uptake of antibiotics from reclaimed wastewater into lettuce irrigated with five different water sources: wastewater (WW), groundwater (GW), secondary clarified water (SCW), ultrafiltration effluent (UF), and multi-media filter with ultraviolet (MMF/UV) effluent.

3.23 × 10 -3 to 7.33 × 10 -3

Results

Hazard Quotient values for children consuming lettuce were below safety thresholds.

More results

In Konya, Türkiye-a semi-arid agricultural region where 90% of water consumption is for irrigation.

Antibiotic levels in irrigation water and lettuce were quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), which identified 20 antibiotics and four metabolites.

Clarithromycin (CLA, 362.4-933.8 ng/L) dominated all water types.

More results

Antibiotic accumulation was greater in leaves (651.52-1045.10 ng/g) than in roots (386.36-811.87 ng/g).

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Conclusion

Thus, consuming lettuce irrigated with reclaimed water containing antibiotics poses negligible risk to humans under current assumption.

Post

Field-scale occurrence and uptake of antibiotics in lettuce irrigated with reclaimed and conventional waters: risk assessment of treated wastewater reuse.

Consuming lettuce irrigated with reclaimed water poses negligible antibiotic risk to children.

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