Temporal and spatial changes, bioaccumulation, critical influencers, and environmental fate of antibiotics in small-scale greenhouse shrimp farming system

Antibiotic overuse results in environmental pollution and antibiotic resistance, with the potential for significant yet poorly understood ecological consequences in small-scale greenhouse shrimp aquaculture systems. This research delved into the spatiotemporal patterns, bioaccumulation profiles, and pivotal determinants of antibiotic presence within the aquatic ecosystem. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of shrimp muscle for antibiotics ranged from 37.51 L/kg to 2791.29 L/kg. In the shrimp aquaculture system, a significant positive correlation was found between chemical oxygen demand and suspended solids with both the predominant and the cumulative concentrations of antibiotics (p < 0.05). The sources of antibiotics in the small-scale greenhouse shrimp farming system were the aquaculture source water and feed, accounting for 83.39 % and 16.61 %, respectively. The majority of antibiotics were found to reside in pond water (57.88 %), with 33.10 % undergoing degradation. The BAF results highlight the potential for antibiotic residues to enter the food chain. These insights underscore the imperative for rigorous management protocols to alleviate the environmental and health hazards posed by antibiotic residues in aquaculture. Consequently, to foster the sustainable and robust growth of the aquaculture sector and to guarantee the integrity and safety of aquatic produce, it is imperative to adopt the "One Health" strategy for the surveillance and regulation of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance within aquaculture systems. Additionally, a more comprehensive set of measures must be enacted to curtail the utilization of antibiotics.