Development and validation of a sensitive and selective method using GC/MS-MS for quantification of 5-fluorouracil in hospital wastewater

Abstract

Pollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals is a subject of growing scientific and societal concern. However, few quantitative data have been reported concerning hospital wastewater contamination. Among the different molecules used at hospital, antineoplastic drugs appear to be of special interest, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) can be considered as a key compound of this therapeutic class. To monitor this pharmaceutical in hospital wastewater, a highly specific and selective method was developed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction. This sensitive method (limit of quantification = 40 ng L(-1)) was then applied to assess sewage contamination of a middle-size hospital with oncology service located in Paris, France. Native 5-FU was detectable in 12 of the 14 analysed samples. In positive samples, concentration range was measured from 0.09 to 4.0 microg L(-1). Finally, a predicting model for the hospital wastewater concentrations is presented, and results of this model are discussed.

Removal of antineoplastic drugs cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and 5-fluorouracil and a vasodilator drug pentoxifylline from wastewaters by ozonation

“…In Germany, 0.5-8.5 μg/L IF was found in hospital effluents and 29-43 ng/L IF was found in a municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent (Kümmerer et al 1997;Steger-Hartmann et al 1996). Hospital wastewaters from France contained 0.09-4.0 μg/L 5-FU (Mullot et al 2009) and up to 124 μg/L 5-FU in Austria (Mahnik et al 2007;Mahnik et al 2004). In recent years, antineoplastics have been detected in surface waters.…”

On-line solid phase extraction–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of 17 cytostatics and metabolites in waste, surface and ground water samples

“…Less attention has been paid to the effects of cytostatics on the environment where different sources like emissions from production sites, direct disposal of pharmaceuticals in households, or excretions of patients under medical treatment can contribute to its potential pollution. In fact, some cytostatics have been detected in hospital wastewaters and even influent wastewaters at concentration levels varying from ng L -1 to µg L -1 [1,[3][4][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Distribution of Anticancer Drugs in River Waters and Sediments of the Yodo River Basin, Japan

“…The concentration and purification steps of the anticancer drugs in the liquid samples were performed by SPE [13,31]. In the case of the For quantitative analysis of CP and TAM, gas chromatography (GC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) was used initially after purification and derivatization [42][43][44]. Recent in-depth quantification of these drugs together with the other anticancer drugs was achieved by the simultaneous combination of procedures known as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) [16,[45][46][47], with special care taken for differences in the protocols applied for the liquid and the solid samples.…”