title: A toxicity assessment of 30 pharmaceuticals using Aliivibrio fischeri: a comparison of the acute effects of different formulations.
abstract: Considerable quantities of different classes of drugs are consumed annually worldwide. These drugs, once disposed, often remain stable, even after conventional or advanced treatments. Although there have been a number of studies on the potential harm caused by drugs when released into the environment, few studies have investigated the toxicity of pharmaceutical excipients. In the present study, the acute toxicity of 30 drugs was tested to Aliivibrio fischeri. Ten different active ingredients were investigated, each in three distinct formulations: generic, similar and reference (brand drug). The aim of the study was to evaluate the harmful potential of drugs frequently sold in drugstores and to assess the contribution of excipients towards the observed acute toxicity. Within the 10 drugs evaluated, only one, dexchlorpheniramine maleate, was not toxic in any formulation. The toxicities of the three formulations were often different, even though the active ingredient has been the same. For some drugs, such as diazepam, glibenclamide, metformin, nimesulide, hydrochlorothiazide and simvastatin, only one or two of the three formulations tested were toxic to A. fischeri. These results highlight the toxicological potential of drug excipients, but not exclusively the toxicity of the active ingredients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , MG , Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Sampaio
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , MG , Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucilaine Valéria de Souza
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , MG , Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Flávia Rodrigues
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , MG , Brazil.
authors.forename: Liséte Celina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri / Q000187:drug effects*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000633:toxicity*; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic
keywords: Acute toxicity; Aliivibrio fischeri; emerging contaminants; excipients; pharmaceuticals