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Photodegradation of sulfonamides and their N 4-acetylated metabolites in water by simulated sunlight irradiation: kinetics and identification of photoproducts

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Abstract

Once released into the aquatic environment, pharmaceuticals may undergo different degradation processes. Photodegradation, for example, might be an important elimination process for light-sensitive pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics. In this study, the fate of sulfonamides (sulfamethazine, sulfadiazine, and sulfamethoxazole) and their N 4-acetylated metabolites (N 4-acetylsulfadiazine, N 4-acetylsulfamethazine, and N 4-acetylsulfamethoxazole) under simulated sunlight irradiation was investigated. The irradiation resulted in total or almost total degradation (88 to 98 %) of the pharmaceuticals tested, except for sulfamethazine (52 %), during 24 h of irradiation. The photoproducts of all investigated pharmaceuticals have been analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Structure elucidation performed from photodegradation products of both, sulfonamides and their N 4-acetylated metabolites, clearly showed two major formation pathways. These were cleavage of the sulfonamide bond as well as SO2 extrusion. In total, nine photoproducts were elucidated. Among these photoproducts, the tautomers of sulfamethoxazole and desulfonated products of sulfadiazine and sulfamethazine were also present. Tautomers of sulfadiazine and sulfamethazine have been characterized here for the first time as well as some photoproducts of sulfadiazine, sulfametoxazole, and their metabolites N 4-acetylsulfadiazine and N 4-acetylsulfametoxazole. The obtained results are an important piece in the complex puzzle for assessing the environmental fate of sulfonamides and their metabolites in the environment.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports projects 125-1253008-1350—Advanced analytical methods for pharmaceuticals determination in the environment and 125-0982933-2926—Heteropolycycles, scaffolds to bioactive compounds. Synthesis and photochemistry. It has also been founded by the European Commission under the project Environmental Chemoinformatics—Initial Training Network (ITN No. 238701).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Martina Periša & Sandra Babić

  2. Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Irena Škorić

  3. Institute for Analytical Research, University of Applied Sciences Fresenius, Limburger Straße 2, 65510, Idstein, Germany

    Tobias Frömel & Thomas P. Knepper

Authors
  1. Martina Periša
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  2. Sandra Babić
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  3. Irena Škorić
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  4. Tobias Frömel
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  5. Thomas P. Knepper
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Correspondence to Sandra Babić.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Periša, M., Babić, S., Škorić, I. et al. Photodegradation of sulfonamides and their N 4-acetylated metabolites in water by simulated sunlight irradiation: kinetics and identification of photoproducts. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 8934–8946 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1836-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1836-1

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