The　occurrence　and　fate　of　12　commonly　used　antibiotics,　two　fluoroquinolones　(FQs),　three　sulfonamides　(SAs),　three　macrolides　(MLs),　two　beta-lactams　and　two　tetracyclines　(TCs),　were　studied　in　four　sewage　treatment　plants　(STPs)　and　their　receiving　water,　the　Huangpu　River,　Shanghai.　The　levels　of　selected　antibiotics　in　the　STPs　ranged　from　ng　L-1　to　mu　g　L-1,　while　ofloxacin　(OFL)　was　predominant　(reach　up　to　2936.94　ng　L-1).　The　highest　and　lowest　proportions　were　of　FQs　(STP　1,　STP　2　and　STP　3)　and　TCs　(in　four　STPs)　respectively　in　both　influents　and　effluents.　And　the　second-highest　proportion　was　of　FQs　in　STP　4　(only　2%　lower　than　the　highest).　What　could　be　inferred　was　that　the　usage　of　TCs　were　extremely　low　while　the　usage　of　FQs　were　larger　than　other　antibiotics　in　our　study　area.　The　elimination　of　antibiotics　through　these　STPs　was　incomplete　and　a　wide　range　of　removal　efficiencies　(-442.8%　to　100%)　during　the　treatment　was　observed.　Based　on　the　mass　loadings　as　well　as　the　per　capita　mass　loadings　of　target　antibiotics　in　four　STPs,　OFL　was　considered　the　primary　contaminant　herein.　In　the　Huangpu　River,　3　antibiotics　were　not　detected　in　any　water　samples,　while　the　detection　frequencies　of　4　antibiotics　were　100%.　The　highest　concentration　detected　in　the　river　was　53.91　ng　L-1　of　sulfapyridine　(SD).　The　Spearman　correlation　analysis　of　antibiotics　in　STPs　and　the　nearby　water　samples　suggests　that　the　antibiotics　discharged　from　some　STPs　might　influence　the　receiving　water　to　some　extent.　Moreover,　most　of　the　hazard　quotient　(HQ)　values　in　STP　effluents　were　one　order　magnitude　higher　than　those　in　their　receiving　water.　However,　there　is　no　imminent　significant　ecotoxicological　risk　caused　by　any　single　compound　in　the　effluents　and　receiving　waters.　(C)　2016　Elsevier　Inc　All　rights　reserved.