Streptomycin (STR) is the first discovered antibiotic in the group of aminoglycosides, which was the first effective against tuberculosis and plague. It is formed during the vital activity of radiant fungi Streptomyces globisporus streptomycini or other related microorganisms. STR is still widely used in medicine and animal husbandry and therefore STR can be detected in food and the environment. Trough serum concentrations of streptomycin greater than 3 ug/mL are more likely to be associated with toxic effects; the streptomycin data sheet recommends that dosage should be reduced if 24 h serum concentrations exceed 3 ug/mL and those in patients over 60 years the trough serum concentration should not exceed 1 ug/mL. Regulatory authorities have established maximum residue limits (MRLs) for STP in food. In the European Union (EU), the MRL for STP in bovine and ovine milk is 200 μg/kg (0.2 ng/mL). Until now, there had been little testing in these areas for drugs in water. In general wasterwater could be contaminated up to 50 ug/mL and the water samples with higher than 0.1 ug/mL concentration of antibiotics will be not recommended to drink.
The aim of this work was determination of streptomycin in wastewater and river samples by Fluorescence Polarization Immuno Assay (FPIA) method. The FPIA method was chosen for streptomycin determination in water, because it is rapid, selective, homogeneous, well reproducible and quite sensitive. The FPIA method for the determination of streptomycin was optimized for different antibodies and tracers, the optimal concentrations of working solutions of immunoreagents were selected. The analytical characteristics of the optimized FPIA method were determined: the detection limit for streptomycin was 0.03 μg/ml. Linear range of determined concentrations: 0.1 - 3.4 ug/ml. The obtained FPIA technique was successfully applied to the determination of streptomycin in 30 river and wastewater samples from the Moscow region and in 4 of which streptomycin was detected in the concentration higher than 0.1 μg/ml.