Biodegradability of the Anti-Tumour Agent Ifosfamide and its Occurrence in Hospital Effluents and Communal Sewage
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In: Water Research, Vol. 31, No. 11, 01.11.1997, p. 2705-2710.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Biodegradability of the Anti-Tumour Agent Ifosfamide and its Occurrence in Hospital Effluents and Communal Sewage
AU - Kümmerer, Klaus
AU - Steger-Hartmann, Thomas
AU - Meyer, Michael
PY - 1997/11/1
Y1 - 1997/11/1
N2 - A portion of administered pharmaceuticals are excreted unmetabolised by patients and can be found in hospital effluent and municipal sewage. Some pharmaceuticals such as anti-tumour agents are carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and fetotoxic. Little is known about their environmental impact. Therefore, the biodegradability of the widely used anti-tumour agent ifosfamide (IF) was assessed with the modified Zahn-Wellens test (OECD 302 B) and a test simulating biological sewage treatment. The biodegradation was monitored by DOC and GC/MS. The concentration of IF in hospital effluent, communal sewage and the effluent from a communal sewage treatment plant (STP) was analysed as well as calculated by the amounts of water and IF used in hospitals. The expected concentration of IF in German surface waters was calculated. IF was not biodegradable in the Zahn-Wellens test and the STP simulation test. It was not adsorbed by the sewage sludge. The concentrations measured in the hospital effluents, the STP influent and the STP effluent were of the same order of magnitude as the calculated ones, indicating that no adsorption, biodegradation or other elimination of IF took place to any noticeable extent.
AB - A portion of administered pharmaceuticals are excreted unmetabolised by patients and can be found in hospital effluent and municipal sewage. Some pharmaceuticals such as anti-tumour agents are carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and fetotoxic. Little is known about their environmental impact. Therefore, the biodegradability of the widely used anti-tumour agent ifosfamide (IF) was assessed with the modified Zahn-Wellens test (OECD 302 B) and a test simulating biological sewage treatment. The biodegradation was monitored by DOC and GC/MS. The concentration of IF in hospital effluent, communal sewage and the effluent from a communal sewage treatment plant (STP) was analysed as well as calculated by the amounts of water and IF used in hospitals. The expected concentration of IF in German surface waters was calculated. IF was not biodegradable in the Zahn-Wellens test and the STP simulation test. It was not adsorbed by the sewage sludge. The concentrations measured in the hospital effluents, the STP influent and the STP effluent were of the same order of magnitude as the calculated ones, indicating that no adsorption, biodegradation or other elimination of IF took place to any noticeable extent.
KW - Chemistry
KW - Abbaubarkeit
KW - Ifosfamid
KW - Klinikabwasser
KW - Zytostatikum
KW - biodegradability
KW - IFOSFAMIDE
KW - IT
KW - occurrence
KW - hospital
KW - hospital effluents
KW - hospital effluent
KW - EFFLUENTS
KW - effluent
KW - communal sewage
KW - sewage
KW - anti-tumour agent
KW - Anti-tumour agent
KW - Biodegradability
KW - Communal sewage
KW - Hospital effluent
KW - Ifosfamide
KW - Sewage treatment
KW - Surface water
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0042548456&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00121-8
DO - 10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00121-8
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 31
SP - 2705
EP - 2710
JO - Water Research
JF - Water Research
SN - 0043-1354
IS - 11
ER -