(in German)

Antibiotics like enrofloxacin are widely used in animal farming to treat and prevent bacterial infections. They are administered for example via food and water. A previous study (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) project No. F 2344; Title: "Pilotprojekt zur Erfassung der Antibiotikaexposition von Beschäftigten in der Tierhaltung mit Biomonitoringmethoden") in poultry farms has shown that yardmen show significant concentrations of administered antibiotics in their urine. It is currently unclear how poultry yardmen are exposed to the administered antibiotics. It could be via the oral, inhaled or even dermal route.

To investigate the route of administration further, in the current research project, carried out at Fraunhofer ITEM, 6 study subjects were exposed to enrofloxacin at a concentration level representative for occupational exposure of yardmen at poultry farms. As three uptake-routes (dermal, inhalation and oral) have been identified to be conceivable all three cases were investigated. After each administration blood and urine samples have been analysed by validated methods for enrofloxacin and its main metabolite ciprofloxacin at several time points. The objective of this exemplary study was to obtain information on the pharmacokinetics of the different uptake routes. In this study it was shown, that different exposure routes are characterized by different pharmacokinetics, whose interpretation have to be made elsewhere.

The conclusion is, that such studies could be used to obtain a better understanding of general routes of exposure in occupational environments. On the basis of the results mitigation strategies could be developed, reducing the risk of exposure.

Please download the complete report "Can toxicokinetic data be used for the assessment of routes of uptake in occupational environments? - Case study with enrofloxacin" (in German only).