title: Identification of markers of cancer in urban sewage through the use of a suspect screening approach.
abstract: The administration of anticancer drugs during chemotherapy treatments has increased considerably in recent years, and based on the growing incidence of cancer worldwide there is a foreseen increase in their use over the coming years. Many anticancer drugs are not removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and can therefore reach the aquatic environment and potentially threaten aquatic life. The objective of this work was to apply a suspect screening methodology to detect chemotherapy and radiotherapy drugs and their related compounds such metabolites and/or biomarkers in wastewater. The use of logical pre-determined criteria to refine the suspect list down to a relatively small number of relevant compounds greatly improved the efficiency of the analysis. Mass accuracy, isotopic patterns and predicted retention time were used to tentatively identify the suspects. Successful identification of cancer-related suspects included two antineoplastic hormones, two X-ray contrast agents and a pyrrolizidine alkaloid related to an herbal medicine. This is the first time that a suspect screening paradigm has been successfully applied to the identification of pharmaceuticals and biomarkers related to chemotherapy in wastewater.
authors: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Tracer Technology department, Oil and Gas section, Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), P.O. box 40, NO-2027 Kjeller, Norway. Electronic address: laurafc@ife.no.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Ferrando-Climent
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
authors: Malcolm J
authors: MJ
authors: Reid
authors: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Rodriguez-Mozaz
authors: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Damià
authors: D
authors: Barceló
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
authors: Kevin V
authors: KV
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Suspect screening; biomarkers; chemotherapy drugs; liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry; metabolites; retrospective analysis