Analytical method for the Determination of Ampicillin and Ciprofloxacin in the hospital wastewater

Antibiotics are medicines that inhibit the growth of or destroy bacteria. Inappropriate disposal of the drugs not only contaminate the environment, but also brings chances for development of antibiotic resistance strains within our surroundings. The cause of this contamination offers direct and indirect effect on target and non-target organisms present in the environment. The detection of antibiotics is therefore an important aspect by which the threshold concentration of drugs in the environment can be estimated and necessary measures can be taken to combat the spread of pharmaceuticals in the environment. The present sewage treatment plant is not sufficient to dispose of antibiotics in waste water. Contamination levels of antibiotics, namely Ampicillin (AMP) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP), were identified in samples of wastewater of the three hospitals in Kota. HPLC with a VWD detector, C-18 column, and solid-phase cartridges were used to analyze antibiotic residues. The result reveals target analytic concentrations in the following ranges (in mg/L) Ampicillin (AMP) 0.83 and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) 0.90. In our study, the concentration of antibiotics in the drains was high, and this is a matter of concern in terms of its wider public health impact. The contamination level was much higher in wastewater samples as it is the primary source of antibiotics entering the environment.