Anticancer drugs: potantial risks in the environment

The pollution of the aquatic environment by micropollutants (whose concentration varies from a few nanograms to a few micrograms per liter) such as drug residues is now a well-established reality. Their presence has been reported almost systematically in surface waters, and more occasionally in drinking water [RE 141] . Excreted by patients in hospital or at home, these pharmaceutical products end up in wastewater and pass through treatment plants that are not designed to eliminate them effectively. Among these pollutants, anti-cancer products are the focus of recent interest. Indeed, even if their impact at concentrations found in the environment is still difficult to quantify, their presence is a cause for concern, as most of these molecules are considered Carcinogenic, Mutagenic and toxic for Reproduction (CMR), and are also very persistent. In view of medical progress and the increasingly early detection of cancers, an increase in their use over the coming decades is to be expected, and consequently in their release into the environment. It is therefore essential to limit their release into the aquatic environment, and in so doing, play our part in reclaiming the natural environment.

With this in mind, this article describes the life cycle of anticancer products, from their use by patients to their release into the water environment, as well as the potential risks associated with their presence in the environment, and suggests ways of reducing the impact of these micropollutants. Figures are presented for four anticancer molecules in particular: cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, 5-fluorouracil and tamoxifen.