Cytotoxics are chemotherapeutic drugs that act to halt the spread of both cancerous and non-cancerous cells through inhibition of DNA replication and other cell processes. The environmental fate of these drugs has been of high interest in recent years due to their high excretion rates and low removal efficiencies from wastewater treatment plants. Numerous studies have confirmed the presence of cytotoxics in surface waters at concentrations of 50 pg/L to 200 ng/L, however very little research into their transformation, degradation, and distribution in environmental matrices has been conducted, and hence a true risk assessment cannot yet be completed.<br/>This research has focused on development of chemiluminescence detection for the common cytotoxics 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and imatinib in surface waters. Intense chemiluminescence via reaction of the oxidising reagent tris-2,2’-bipyridyl ruthenium (II) chloride with imatinib has been successfully produced, and has allowed for detection of imatinib down to concentrations of 2 μM in water with good linearity.

Toward chemiluminescence detection of cytotoxics in surface waters

249th National Meeting (2015)

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