Insight into the Sorption of 5-Fluorouracil and Methotrexate onto Soil–pH, Ionic Strength, and Co-Contaminant Influence

Nowadays anticancer drugs (ADs), like other pharmaceuticals, are recognized as new emerging pollutants, meaning that they are not commonly monitored in the environment; however, they have great potential to enter the environment and cause adverse effects there. The current scientific literature highlights the problem of their presence in the aquatic environment by publishing more and more results on their analytics and ecotoxicological evaluation. In order to properly assess the risk associated with the presence of ADs in the environment, it is also necessary to investigate the processes that are important in understanding the environmental fate of these compounds. However, the state of knowledge on mobility of ADs in the environment is still very limited. Therefore, the main aim of our study was to investigate the sorption potential of two anticancer drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and methotrexate (MTX), onto different soils. Special attention was paid to the determination of the influence of pH and ionic strength as well as presence of co-contaminants (cadmium (Cd2+) and another pharmaceutical—metoprolol (MET)) on the sorption of 5-FU and MTX onto soil. The obtained distribution coefficient values (Kd) ranged from 2.52 to 6.36 L·kg−1 and from 6.79 to 12.94 L·kg−1 for 5-FU and MTX, respectively. Investigated compounds may be classified as slightly or low mobile in the soil matrix (depending on soil). 5-FU may be recognized as more mobile in comparison to MET. It was proved that presence of other soil contaminants may strongly influence their mobility in soil structures. The investigated co-contaminant (MET) caused around 25-fold increased sorption of 5-FU, whereas diminished sorption of MTX. Moreover, the influence of environmental conditions such as pH and ionic strength on their sorption has been clearly demonstrated

Effect of cadmium and glutathione on malic enzyme activity in brown shrimps (<i>Crangon crangon</i>) from the Gulf of Gdańsk

The high level of cadmium in the abdominal muscle of the brown shrimp <i>Crangon crangon</i> is due to the serious pollution of the water in the Gulf of Gdansk. The inhibition of malic enzyme (ME) activity by cadmium, and in consequence the reduced formation of NADPH, could interfere with cellular mechanisms for detoxifying the organism and reducing oxidative stress. The reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration in the abdominal muscle of <it>C. crangon</it> was calculated to be 5.8 mM. The objective of this study was to evaluate the part played by GSH in the effect of cadmium on the activity of NADP-dependent malic enzyme from abdominal muscles of brown shrimps. This enzyme is activated by certain divalent cations (Mg, Mn). The results demonstrate that cadmium inhibits ME activity from shrimp muscle, and that GSH and albumin can reduce this cadmium-inhibited NADP-dependent malic enzyme activity

5-Fluorouracil and Its Prodrug Capecitabine: Occurrence, Fate and Effects in the Environment

In this chapter, we examine the available literature on the cycling and effects of 5-flourouracil (5-FU) and capecitabine (CAP) residues in the aqueous environment. The aim is to understand better their environmental occurrence, fate and potential toxic effects. Physicochemical properties of 5-FU and CAP suggest that they are more likely to remain in aqueous environment than adsorbed to solid particles. Detectable levels have been reported in hospital effluents (&lt; 122 μg/L) and in municipal wastewaters (&lt; 280 ng/L), but rarely in surface waters (only 5-FU in one study: &lt; 160 ng/L). Among different water treatments available, the most promising for removing 5-FU and CAP are the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). So far, indirect photolysis has been most widely applied and is capable of almost completely removing both compounds (to &lt; LOD) and in some cases resulting in complete mineralization. However, these treatments have been mostly tested in MilliQ or potable water and their suitability for complex matrices like wastewaters is questionable and biodegradation is still treatment of choice for these matrices. In other studies, a variety of transformation products has been identified adding to the overall environmental burden. Toxicity tests on single parent compounds have shown that they may have effects above the concentrations of environmental relevance. The studies of complex mixtures of parent compounds highlight that the actual ecological risk posed by mixtures of these compounds is difficult to evaluate. Overall, the main finding from this review is that a real need exists for further studies on the chemical and toxicological effects of environmental mixtures of cytotoxic compounds