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VETERINARY PHARMACEUTICALS: POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND TREATMENT STRATEGIES
Citation:
Cicmanec*, J L. VETERINARY PHARMACEUTICALS: POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND TREATMENT STRATEGIES. Presented at Sustainable Land Application Conference, Buena Vista, FL, January 04 - 08, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
In the late 1970s it was recognized that there were increasing occurrences of antibiotic-resistant organisms in Europe and the US. Even in the early stages, concerns were raised that large-scale treatment of farm animals for infectious disease as well as growth enhancement may be serving as a possible source for this environmental problem. In order to provide a point of reference, more than 23,000 tons of antibiotics were used in 1998 for human and animal use in Europe and the US. Further concern regarding the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals arose when the topic of endocrine disrupting chemicals was introduced. In many farm operations long-acting drugs such as trenbolone and melengestrol acetate are routinely used to enhance weight gain in beef cattle and unfortunately these compounds persist in the environment. There is also increased public awareness regarding the use of bovine somatotropin in dairy cattle to promote greater milk production. From data gathered in selected watershed studies it became evident that many of the large, factory-style animal farm operations, commonly referred to as CAFOs, were having a significant environmental impact. This poster will highlight the most salient points in and will offer some approaches for providing new remedies.