Initial fate assessment of teratogenic drug trimipramine and its photo-transformation products - Role of pH, concentration and temperature

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Trimipramine (TMP) is an antidepressant drug used for the treatment of a variety of depressive states and other psychiatric disorders. It has been already detected in the aquatic environment. Currently, no further knowledge is available on fate and effects of TMP in the aquatic environment. Therefore, we studied the biodegradability of TMP and of its photolysis transformation products (PTPs) generated by irradiation with polychromatic UV light in aqueous solution. Different conditions including initial drug concentration, pH, and temperature were applied during TMP photolysis. Subsequently, the time courses of TMP and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were monitored throughout the whole photo-degradation process. Then, high-resolution mass spectrometry was used to identify and elucidate the structures of the resulting PTPs. After that, the two standardized biodegradation tests, Closed Bottle test (CBT; OECD 301 D) and Manometric Respirometry test (MRT; OECD 301 F), were performed for TMP and its photolytic mixtures to assess the biodegradability of TMP and its PTPs. Finally, the toxicity of TMP and its photolytic mixtures was predicted using different quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) software. It was found that after 128 min of UV-irradiation, 91.8% of TMP at the initial concentration of 100 mg L(-1) was eliminated with only 23.9% removal in the DOC. So, it can be pointed out that more than 65% of the degraded TMP is transformed to new non-mineralized PTPs. 14 new PTPs were detected in TMP's photolytic mixtures. Their supposed structures indicate that the proposed photo-transformation pathway is mainly by hydroxylation. The statistical analysis confirms that the differences in the degradation rates of TMP as a function of concentration, pH, and temperature are statistically significant in most cases investigated here. In biodegradation testing, TMP and its PTPs are classified as not readily biodegradable, while LC-MS analysis revealed some PTPs to be eliminated more than TMP itself. Results from QSAR analysis confirmed that some of the PTPs could be biodegradable, and revealed that some of the non-biodegradable PTPs may be human and/or eco-toxic, posing a risk to the environment. Our findings show that TMP under UV-irradiation could lead to the formation of some more easily biodegradable PTPs and some others toxic and non-biodegradable PTPs. Therefore, further studies should be conducted regarding the fate and effects of TMP and its PTPs elucidated in this study on human health and on the environment.

Original languageEnglish
JournalWater Research
Volume108
Pages (from-to)197-211
Number of pages15
ISSN0043-1354
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd

    Research areas

  • Chemistry - Antidepressant, Biodegradability, Mutagenicity, Photo-degradation, QSAR, Teratogenicity

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Elke Schüßler

Publications

  1. A mobile application for panic disorder and agoraphobia
  2. Vergütungsbericht - Eine Komponente der nichtfinanziellen Berichterstattung
  3. Research Perspectives and Innovative Applications for Sustainable Engineering Education
  4. Biotic and abiotic degradation of S-metolachlor and its commercial product Mercantor Gold® in aqueous media
  5. Genetic Implications of Chemical and Textural Properties of Some Fra Mauro Breccias (Apollo 14)
  6. Sozialisation und Jugend
  7. Unveiling the Bounty
  8. Effect of biaxial compressive stress state on the microstructure evolution and deformation compatibility of rolled sheet Mg alloy AZ31 at room temperature
  9. Special Issue: Embracing Contrarian Thinking
  10. Modelling ammonia volatilisation following urea fertilisation in a winter wheat-maize rotation in China
  11. Spread of Non-Native Plant Species into Mountains
  12. Entwicklungsschritte bei der Achsensymmetrie
  13. Is Export Diversification good for Productivity? First Evidence for Manufacturing Enterprises in Germany
  14. Re-investigating the insurance-growth nexus using common factors
  15. Home range and habitat use by the pacas (Cuniculus paca) in a montane tropical forest in Bolivia
  16. Liability rule failures? Evidence from german court decisions.
  17. Klassentestheft Teil 2 (10 Ex.) - 2. Schuljahr
  18. Notting Hill Gate 4
  19. Friction surfacing of aluminum alloys on Ti6Al4V - Investigation of process parameters, material deposition behavior and bonding mechanisms
  20. Interpretation und Kontextualisierung. Interkulturelle Perspektiven
  21. Entry of biocides and their transformation products into groundwater via urban stormwater infiltration systems