title: Evaluation of an electrolysis apparatus for inactivating antineoplastics in clinical wastewater.
abstract: We recently reported a system for inactivating antineoplastics in which sodium hypochlorite is supplied by the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution. In this study, we designed an electrolysis apparatus for inactivating the cytotoxicity of antineoplastics in clinical wastewater using the system. The apparatus consists of an electrolysis cell with platinum-iridium electrodes, a pool tank, a circulating system for wastewater, a safety system for explosive gas and overflow, and an exhaust duct. The free chlorine concentration increased linearly up to 6500 mg l(-1), and pH also increased to 9.0-10.0 within 2h, when 0.9% sodium chloride solution was electrolyzed. We examined its efficacy with model and clinical wastewaters. The reciprocal of dilution factor for disappearance of cytotoxicity using Molt-4 cells was compared before and after electrolysis. In the model wastewater, that was 9.10 x 10(4) before electrolysis, and 3.56 x 10(2) after 2h of electrolysis. In the clinical wastewater (n=26), that was 6.90 x 10(3)-1.02 x 10(6) before electrolysis, and 1.08 x 10(2)-1.45 x 10(4) after 2h of electrolysis. Poisonous and explosive gases released by the electrolysis were measured; however, they were found to be negligible in terms of safety. The environmental load was evaluated by carbon dioxide generation as an index and it was found that the carbon dioxide generated by the electrolysis method was 1/70 lower than that by the dilution method with tap water. Moreover, the cost of the electrolysis method was 1/170 lower than that of the dilution method. This method was found to be both effective and economically valuable.
authors.affiliation: Project Team for Medical Application of Electrolysis, Central Research Center, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki-shi, Osaka 569-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiro
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ijiri
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takiuchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004572:Electrolysis / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D006761:Hospitals; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D018505:Waste Management / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005740:Gases; D012722:Sewage; D002245:Carbon Dioxide