An integrated modelling approach to derive the grey water footprint of veterinary antibiotics

Water pollution by veterinary antibiotics (VAs) resulting from livestock production is associated with severe environmental and human health risks. While upward trends in global animal product consumption signal that these risks might exacerbate toward the future, VA related water pollution is currently insufficiently understood. To increase this understanding, the present research assesses processes influencing VA pollution from VA administration to their discharge into freshwater bodies, using an integrated modelling approach (IMA). For the VAs amoxicillin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tetracycline we estimate loads administered to livestock, excretion, degradation during manure storage, fate in soil and transport to surface water. Fate and transport are modelled using the VA transport model (VANTOM), which is fed with estimates from the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA). The grey water footprint (GWF) is used to indicate the severity of water pollution in volumetric terms by combining VA loads and predicted no effect concentrations. We apply our approach to the German-Dutch Vecht river catchment, which is characterized by high livestock densities. Results show a VA mass load decrease larger than 99% for all substances under investigation, from their administration to surface water emission. Due to metabolization in the body, degradation during manure storage and degradation in soil, VA loads are reduced by 45%, 80% and 90% on average, respectively. While amoxicillin and sulfamethazine dissipate quickly after field application, significant fractions of doxycycline, oxytetracycline and tetracycline accumulate in the soil. The overall Vecht catchment's GWF is estimated at 250,000 m3 yr−1, resulting from doxycycline (81% and 19% contribution from the German and Dutch catchment part respectively). Uncertainty ranges of several orders of magnitude, as well as several remaining limitations to the presented IMA, underscore the importance to further develop and refine the approach

The grey water footprint of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals

10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100044Water Research X710004

Ecotoxicity dataset associated with “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)”

In our article “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)” (https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5062) we defined unique ecological risk profiles for surface water concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the Vecht River. Therefore, it was necessary to collect up-to-date ecotoxicity effect data. The present dataset provides the aquatic toxicity data used to determine predicted environmental concentrations (PNEC) for a selection of pharmaceuticals. A wealth of effect data from scientific literature, databases and other sources was collected, cleaned and harmonized. The dataset was created with particular focus on 8 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, cyclophosphamide, diclofenac, erythromycin, 17α-ethinylestradiol, metformin, and metoprolol), although data on more than 220 substances from scientific literature were also extracted in the process. Details on the character and the purpose of the research, the nature of the data, the way the data were collected, processed and analysed are provided

Ecotoxicity dataset associated with “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)”

In our article “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)” (https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5062) we defined unique ecological risk profiles for surface water concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the Vecht River. Therefore, it was necessary to collect up-to-date ecotoxicity effect data. The present dataset provides the aquatic toxicity data used to determine predicted environmental concentrations (PNEC) for a selection of pharmaceuticals. A wealth of effect data from scientific literature, databases and other sources was collected, cleaned and harmonized. The dataset was created with particular focus on 8 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, cyclophosphamide, diclofenac, erythromycin, 17α-ethinylestradiol, metformin, and metoprolol), although data on more than 220 substances from scientific literature were also extracted in the process. Details on the character and the purpose of the research, the nature of the data, the way the data were collected, processed and analysed are provided

Ecotoxicity dataset associated with “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)”

In our article “Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the transboundary Vecht River (Germany/Netherlands)” (https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5062) we defined unique ecological risk profiles for surface water concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the Vecht River. Therefore, it was necessary to collect up-to-date ecotoxicity effect data. The present dataset provides the aquatic toxicity data used to determine predicted environmental concentrations (PNEC) for a selection of pharmaceuticals. A wealth of effect data from scientific literature, databases and other sources was collected, cleaned and harmonized. The dataset was created with particular focus on 8 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, cyclophosphamide, diclofenac, erythromycin, 17α-ethinylestradiol, metformin, and metoprolol), although data on more than 220 substances from scientific literature were also extracted in the process. Details on the character and the purpose of the research, the nature of the data, the way the data were collected, processed and analysed are provided

Handling and communicating intelligence information: a conceptual, historical and information design analysis

Effective communication of information is essential to intelligence work. This paper identifies the main obstacles to good communication: policy-related challenges; cognitive impediments; resource limitations; cultural and structural issues within intelligence communities; and technical information. To illustrate, it examines four cases when poor communication contributed to intelligence shortcomings. Via questionnaire and document survey, the study identifies the current state of practice in UK intelligence communities. The survey of visualization documents currently in use revealed errors against established principles of Information Design. Thus, to ensure better handling and dissemination of intelligence, there is a distinct need to apply Information Design principles