[Barb G]

There was an article in my local newspaper yesterday about the fact that trace amounts of the antibiotic sulfamethazine was found in our tap water. Sulfamethazine is in our dairy products and meat products and is alleged to have been found in vegetables. Sulfamethazine has also been found in the dust from animal confinement facilities and therefore may be in our air as well. I am allergic to sulfa drugs. Am wondering if chronic long-term exposure to sulfamethazine contamination (residue) may be contributing to my autoimmune disease. I tried to find research looking into this but wasn't successful. I found lots of related research, from 1998 to the present, but nothing specifically about chronic long-term exposure to low levels of sulfamethazine residue contributing to autoimmune disease --- thyroid cancer yes, but nothing about autoimmune disease. Does anyone know anything about this?

Barb

 

[KarolH]

Hi Barb,

I have never even heard of this but now you have my curiosity up and I will go to our local water company next week to get a print out of what they have found in our local drinking water. Anyone is allowed a copy, just need to request it. Thank god I drink bottled water,

 

[Barb G]

Sulfamethazine has been documented in plants too --- see the research below.

My concerns about how chronic low-level exposure to sulfamethazine may affect me because of my sulfa allergy is a concern of the researchers as well --- I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse:worried:

Sulfamethazine Uptake by Plants from Manure-Amended Soil
Holly Dollivera, Kuldip Kumarb and Satish Guptaa,*
a Dep. of Soil, Water, and Climate, Univ. of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108
b Res. and Dev., Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, 6001 West Pershing Rd., Cicero, IL 60804-4112

"These results raise potential human health concerns of consuming low levels of antibiotics from produce grown on manure-amended soils. ...

The major concern surrounding antibiotic uptake by plants is contamination of the food supply and associated health risks. Although health implications of antibiotic residues in plant-based products are largely unknown, several potential adverse impacts include allergic/toxic reactions, chronic toxic effects as a result of prolonged low-level exposure, the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and disruption of digestive system functioning (Kumar et al., 2005a; Doyle, 2006). "

Published online 27 June 2007
Published in J Environ Qual 36:1224-1230 (2007)
DOI: 10.2134/jeq2006.0266
http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/cont...TINDEX=0&volume=36&issue=4&resourcetype=HWCIT


Antibiotic Uptake by Plants from Soil Fertilized with Animal Manure
K. Kumara,*, S. C. Guptaa, S. K. Baidoob, Y. Chandera and C. J. Rosena
a Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108
b Department of Animal Science and Southern Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108

"The risks may be higher for people who are allergic to antibiotics and there is also the possibility of enhanced antimicrobial resistance as a result of human consumption of these vegetables. "

Published online 12 October 2005
Published in J Environ Qual 34:2082-2085 (2005)
DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0026
© 2005 American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/cont...83ff536210a9e8f5a60404a5&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha


Sulfadimidine (WHO Food Additives Series 25)
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v25je06.htm