TY - JOUR

T1 - Biodegradability and ecotoxicitiy of tramadol, ranitidine, and their photoderivatives in the aquatic environment

T2 - Biologische Abbaubarkeit und Ökotoxizität von Tramadol, Ranitidin sowie ihren Photoderivate in der aquatischen Umwelt

AU - Bergheim, Marlies

AU - Gieré, Reto

AU - Kümmerer, Klaus

PY - 2012/1

Y1 - 2012/1

N2 - Purpose This study was designed to assess the fate and the overall potential impacts of the widely prescribed drugs ranitidine and tramadol after their introduction into the aquatic environment. Methods The probability to detect these two drugs in the aquatic environment was studied by analyzing their abiotic and biotic degradation properties. For this purpose, samples were irradiated with different light sources, and three widely used biodegradability tests from the OECD series, the closed bottle test (OECD 301 D), the manometric respirometry test (OECD 301 F) and the Zahn-Wellens test (OECD 302 B), were conducted. The ecotoxicity of the photolytically formed transformation products was assessed by performing the bacterial growth inhibition test (EN ISO 10712). Furthermore, quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis and a risk analysis based on the calculation of the predicted environmental concentrations have also been conducted to assess the environmental risk potential of the transformation products. The possible formation of stable products by microbial or photolytical transformation has been investigated with DOC and LC-MS analytics. Results In the present study, neither ranitidine, nor tramadol, nor their photoderivatives were found to be readily or inherently biodegradable according to test guidelines. The photolytic transformation was faster under a UV lamp compared to the reaction under an Xe lamp with a spectrum that mimics sunlight. No chronic toxicity against bacteria was found for ranitidine or its photolytic decomposition products, but a low toxicity was detected for the resulting mixture of the photolytic transformation products of tramadol. Conclusions The study demonstrates that transformation products may have a higher environmental risk potential than the respective parent compounds.

AB - Purpose This study was designed to assess the fate and the overall potential impacts of the widely prescribed drugs ranitidine and tramadol after their introduction into the aquatic environment. Methods The probability to detect these two drugs in the aquatic environment was studied by analyzing their abiotic and biotic degradation properties. For this purpose, samples were irradiated with different light sources, and three widely used biodegradability tests from the OECD series, the closed bottle test (OECD 301 D), the manometric respirometry test (OECD 301 F) and the Zahn-Wellens test (OECD 302 B), were conducted. The ecotoxicity of the photolytically formed transformation products was assessed by performing the bacterial growth inhibition test (EN ISO 10712). Furthermore, quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis and a risk analysis based on the calculation of the predicted environmental concentrations have also been conducted to assess the environmental risk potential of the transformation products. The possible formation of stable products by microbial or photolytical transformation has been investigated with DOC and LC-MS analytics. Results In the present study, neither ranitidine, nor tramadol, nor their photoderivatives were found to be readily or inherently biodegradable according to test guidelines. The photolytic transformation was faster under a UV lamp compared to the reaction under an Xe lamp with a spectrum that mimics sunlight. No chronic toxicity against bacteria was found for ranitidine or its photolytic decomposition products, but a low toxicity was detected for the resulting mixture of the photolytic transformation products of tramadol. Conclusions The study demonstrates that transformation products may have a higher environmental risk potential than the respective parent compounds.

KW - Chemistry

KW - Aquatic environment

KW - Degradation

KW - Ecotoxicology

KW - Irradiation

KW - Ranitidine

KW - Tramadol

KW - Transformation

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84855269634&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11356-011-0536-y

DO - 10.1007/s11356-011-0536-y

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 21681613

VL - 19

SP - 72

EP - 85

JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research

JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research

SN - 1614-7499

IS - 1

ER -