Sulfonamides (SUAs) and their transformation products (TPs) contribute to environmental pollution [1,2,3]. Importance of research on TPs’ properties has been emphasised, e.g. allowing a comprehensive environmental risk assessment of their parent compounds. However, TPs’ properties have been discussed in reviews on SUAs only marginally, if at all [3-8]. Therefore, we want to discuss the current state of knowledge on SUA-TPs including research gaps, and commonalities of SUA-TPs and TPs in general based on a recent literature review.

Literature on SUA-TPs was consulted systematically to collect data on occurrence, physicochemical properties, degradability, and (eco)toxicity. TPs of 14 SUAs were reviewed, and aspects applicable for TPs in general were identified to guide future handling of TPs as a complex category of compounds. The data of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), the main representative, was analysed in more detail to discuss insights on a chemical level.

Literature search resulted in 607 SUA-TPs reported in 222 publications. Only for 4%, 4%, 31%, and 35% of these TPs, data on occurrence in aquatic systems, on physicochemical properties, degradation, and toxicity, respectively, was found.

Several mixtures of SUA-TPs were more ecotoxic than their parent compounds, e.g. 10 of 15 mixtures of SMX-TPs, consisting of 28 TPs. Only few TPs were tested as a single substance.
Although several TPs could be eliminated experimentally, their mineralisation rate remained often unknown. Thus, further transformation to persistent TPs could not be ruled out. Standardised biodegradability tests of individual TPs would monitor their mineralisation rate, but are almost completely lacking. Reasons are likely poor availability of TPs, but also the focus on abiotic water treatment.

Data assessment demonstrated that data of high significance according to standard methods, e.g. OECD methods for chronic (eco)toxicity and ready biodegradability, is needed to assess environmental risks of prioritised TPs, but also to redesign their parent pharmaceutical for complete environmental mineralisation in a long-term (Benign by Design) [9].


References
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2.K. Kümmerer, D.D. Dionysiou, O. Olsson, D. Fatta-Kassinos, Science, 361 6399 (2018).
3.S. Tian, C. Zhang, D. Huang, R. Wang, G. Zeng, M. Yan,W. Xiong, C. Zhou, M. Cheng, W. Xue, Y. Yang, W. Wang, Chemical Engineering Journal, 389 (2020).
4.L. Charuaud, E. Jarde, A. Jaffrezic, M.-F. Thomas, B. Le Bot, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 361, (2019).
5.A. Ezzariai, M. Hafidi, A. Khadra, Q. Aemig, L. El Fels, M. Barret, G. Merlina, D. Patureau, E. Pinelli, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 359 (2018).
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8.Wohde et al., 2016 Wohde, M., Berkner, S., Junker, T., Konradi, S., Schwarz, L., Düring, R.-A., Environmental sciences Europe, 28 1 (2016).
9.K. Kümmerer, Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 12 100136 (2019).