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Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat infections in swine. The maximum residue levels of tetracycline in pork stomach tissue in Russia, Europe, and the United States are 10, 200, and 2,000 ppb, respectively. This difference in accepted safety levels may be the reason why stomach tissues that the United States exports continue to be residue violators in overseas markets. In this study, 30 pigs at two different stages of production (weanling and finisher) were treated with tetracycline at 22 mg/kg of body weight per day for a total of 5 days via a water medicator. Blood samples were collected at 0, 72, 78, 96, and 102 h after the start of medication. The medication was stopped at 120 h, and blood samples were again collected at 126, 144, 168, 192, and 216 h after exposure. Five animals were slaughtered for stomach tissue 0, 24, 48, 96, and 192 h after the drug was flushed from the water line. All blood and tissue samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV methods. The tetracycline levels in plasma were below the level of detection after the U.S.-labeled withdrawal time of 4 days. The stomach tissue residues averaged 671.72, 330.31, 297.77, 136.36, and 268.08 ppb on withdrawal days 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8, respectively. Using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tolerance limit method and a population-based pharmacokinetic model with Monte Carlo simulation, a withdrawal interval was estimated. This study demonstrated that tetracycline residues are still detectable in the stomach tissues after the established United States withdrawal time of 4 days. These residue levels may explain why stomach tissues tested in Russia and Europe show positive residues for tetracycline, even though the meat may pass inspection here in the United States prior to export.

Sulfamethazine is often used to treat disease in the swine industry. Sulfamethazine is available as water or feed medication and historically (over the past 40 years) has been associated with residue violations in both the United States and Europe. Despite sulfamethazine's approval for use as a water medication, little research on the pharmacokinetics of the water formulation is available. Therefore, a pilot study was performed to determine the plasma levels of an approved sulfamethazine water medication. Plasma levels in pigs treated with an oral bolus (250 mg/kg), which is equivalent to the total drug consumed within a 24-h period, achieved therapeutic concentrations (50 microg/ml). Noncompartmental-based pharmacokinetic model parameters for clearance, half-life, and volume of distribution were consistent with previously published values in swine. However, the above treatment resulted in exposure of pen mates to sulfamethazine at levels currently above tolerance (0.1 ppm). Using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, the treatment dose simulation was compared with observed plasma levels of treated pigs. Flexibility of the physiologically based pharmacokinetic model also allowed simulation of control-pig plasma levels to estimate contamination exposure. A simulated exposure to 0.15 mg/kg twice within approximately 8 h resulted in detectable levels of sulfamethazine in the control pigs. After initial exposure, a much lower dose of 0.059 mg/kg maintained the contamination levels above tolerance for at least 3 days. These results are of concern for producers and veterinarians, because in commercial farms, the entire barn is often treated,and environmental contamination could result in residues of an unknown duration.