Ecotoxicity evaluation of selected sulfonamides

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2011-10, Vol.85 (6), p.928-933
• Main Authors: Białk-Bielińska, Anna, Stolte, Stefan, Arning, Jürgen, Uebers, Ute, Böschen, Andrea, Stepnowski, Piotr, Matzke, Marianne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antibiotics; Applied ecology; Aquatic Organisms - drug effects; Aquatic Organisms - microbiology; Araceae - drug effects; Araceae - growth & development; Arthrobacter globiformis; Bacteria - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorophyta - drug effects; Chlorophyta - physiology; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - toxicity; Ecotoxicity; Ecotoxicology - methods; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environment; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Humans; Lemna minor; Luminescent Measurements; Reproduction - drug effects; Scenedesmus vacuolatus; Soil Microbiology; Sulfonamides; Sulfonamides - toxicity; Vibrio fischeri
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.06.058

► Ecotoxicity and potential hazard in the environment of sulfonamides was evaluated. ► It is a comprehensive study of the ecotoxicity of large set of sulfonamides. ► It was proved that sulfonamides can seriously endanger non-target organisms. ► The considerable phytotoxicity of sulfonamides to duckweed was observed. Sulfonamides (SAs) are a group of antibiotic drugs widely used in veterinary medicine. The contamination of the environment by these pharmaceuticals has raised concern in recent years. However, knowledge of their (eco)toxicity is still very basic and is restricted to just a few of these substances. Even though their toxicological analysis has been thoroughly performed and ecotoxicological data are available in the literature, a systematic analysis of their ecotoxicological potential has yet to be carried out. To fill this gap, 12 different SAs were chosen for detailed analysis with the focus on different bacteria as well as non-target organisms (algae and plants). A flexible (eco)toxicological test battery was used, including enzymes (acetylcholinesterase and glutathione reductase), luminescent marine bacteria ( Vibrio fischeri), soil bacteria ( Arthrobacter globiformis), limnic unicellular green algae ( Scenedesmus vacuolatus) and duckweed ( Lemna minor), in order to take into account both the aquatic and terrestrial compartments of the environment, as well as different trophic levels. It was found that SAs are not only toxic towards green algae (EC 50 = 1.54–32.25 mg L −1) but have even stronger adverse effect on duckweed (EC 50 = 0.02–4.89 mg L −1) than atrazine – herbicide (EC 50 = 2.59 mg L −1).