Biological degradation of cyclophosphamide and its occurrence in sewage water.

The mutagenic and cancerogenic antineoplastic agent cyclophosphamide (CP) is released into sewage water by cancer patient excretion. To assess the biological degradability of CP two standardized test systems, the Zahn-Wellens/EMPA test (OECD 302B) and a laboratory scale sewage treatment plant, were used. In both test systems the agent exhibited only poor degradability. To verify the expected occurrence of CP in hospital sewage, water samples were analyzed for CP with GC/MS after enrichment by solid-phase extraction. CP could be detected in concentrations ranging from 20 ng/L to 4.5 micrograms/L. The occurrence of the agent could also be proved in samples from the influent and the effluent of the communal sewage treatment plant into which the hospital's sewage water is shed. Concentrations ranged from 7 to 143 ng/L. In an attempt to assess the contribution of CP to the genotoxicity detected in hospital waste water in a recent study, the effects of CP in the umuC test, a bacterial genotoxicity assay, were investigated. However, no genotoxic effects of CP were found up to concentrations of 1 g/L.

[1]  T Koller,et al.  Detection of genotoxic activity in native hospital waste water by the umuC test. , 1996, Mutation research.

[2]  Thomas Steger-Hartmann,et al.  Trace analysis of the antineoplastics ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide in sewage water by twostep solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry , 1996 .

[3]  A. Hagenbeek,et al.  Bladder and kidney cancer following cyclophosphamide therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. , 1995, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[4]  D. Mourelatos,et al.  Comparative study on Salmonella mutagenicity and on cytogenetic and antineoplastic effects induced by cyclophosphamide and 3-aminobenzamide in cells of three transplantable tumours in vivo. , 1995, Mutation research.

[5]  R. Maguire,et al.  Reduction of the efficiency of extraction of lipophilic chemicals from water by dissolved organic matter , 1995 .

[6]  H. Gall,et al.  Safe handling of antineoplastic drugs: Results of a survey , 1994, Cancer nursing.

[7]  V. Gilard,et al.  Chemical and biological evaluation of hydrolysis products of cyclophosphamide. , 1994, Journal of medicinal chemistry.

[8]  Harris Br.  Safe handling of antineoplastic drugs. , 1994 .

[9]  G. Bolcsfoldi,et al.  An evaluation of the E. coli K-12 uvrB/recA DNA repair host-mediated assay. I. In vitro sensitivity of the bacteria to 61 compounds. , 1992, Mutation research.

[10]  P. Sessink,et al.  Occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents at several departments in a hospital , 1992, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[11]  T. Shimada,et al.  SOS-inducing activity of chemical carcinogens and mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002: examination with 151 chemicals. , 1987, Mutation research.

[12]  N. Day,et al.  Risk of leukaemia in ovarian tumour and breast cancer patients following treatment by cyclophosphamide. , 1987, British Journal of Cancer.

[13]  H. Shinagawa,et al.  Evaluation of the new system (umu-test) for the detection of environmental mutagens and carcinogens. , 1985, Mutation research.

[14]  J. Jorgensen,et al.  Antibacterial activities of antineoplastic agents , 1985, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

[15]  M L Richardson,et al.  The fate of pharmaceutical chemicals in the aquatic environment , 1985, The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology.

[16]  J. Hamilton-miller.  Antimicrobial activity of 21 anti-neoplastic agents. , 1984, British Journal of Cancer.

[17]  H. Waldron,et al.  URINARY THIOETHER EXCRETION IN NURSES HANDLING CYTOTOXIC DRUGS , 1982, The Lancet.

[18]  H. Nau,et al.  Mutagenic, teratogenic and pharmacokinetic properties of cyclophosphamide and some of its deuterated derivatives. , 1982, Mutation research.

[19]  K. Clausen,et al.  Carcinoma of the urinary bladder in patients receiving cyclophosphamide. , 1975, The New England journal of medicine.

[20]  V. Devita,et al.  Clinical pharmacology of cyclophosphamide. , 1973, Cancer research.

[21]  K. Kümmerer,et al.  Prüfung des biologischen Abbaus der Zytostatika Cyclophosphamid und Ifosfamid mit dem Closed Bottle Test (OECD 301 D) , 1996 .

[22]  K. Kümmerer,et al.  Belastung von Krankenhausabwasser mit gefährlichen Stoffen im Sinne § 7a WHG , 1996 .

[23]  R. Bos,et al.  Urinary cyclophosphamide assay as a method for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to cyclophosphamide , 1986, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[24]  P. F. Zimmerman,et al.  Disposal of antineoplastic wastes at the National Institutes of Health. , 1984, American journal of hospital pharmacy.