engleski

Kinetic studies of nitrofurantoin photolysis and identification of photodegradation products

Today it is well established that continuous input and persistence of pharmaceuticals in the environment could have a great impact not only on the environment but also on human health. Therefore, public and scientific concern on this topic has progressively increased. Nitrofurantoin is antibiotic frequently used in human for the treatment of urinary tract infection with relatively high excretion rate (approximately one third excreted unchanged in urine). Since information about its fate and behaviour in the environment is negligible compared to some other pharmaceuticals, the objective of this study was to investigate its photolytic degradation under environmentally relevant conditions. Nitrofurantoin was irradiated under simulated sunlight in different water matrices in order to investigate influence of both direct and indirect photolysis. Beside these, influence of different water constituents (humic acids, chloride, nitrate, phosphate and sulfate ions) on its photolytic degradation was also studied. Furthermore, pH-value as one of the important factors that can have an effect on photolysis was also taken into account. Except investigating kinetic of nitrofurantoin photolysis, the photodegradation products were identified and their toxicity, together with toxicity of active component was determined by Vibrio fischeri bacteria.

photolysis, nitrofurantoin, photodegradation products, toxicity

This study has been partly supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project Fate of pharmaceuticals in the environment and during advanced wastewater treatment (PharmaFate) (IP-09-2014-2353).