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The Microtox Analysis of Toxicity Levels of Common Pharmaceutical Drugs after Photocatalytic Degradation through Ultraviolet Radiation

The toxicity levels of several common pharmaceutical drugs were tested with Microtox analysis. When excess pharmaceuticals are disposed, they often find their way into water systems, potentially polluting them. Such drugs include phenytoin, carbamazepine, atenolol, warfarin, metoprolol, albuterol sulfate, doxycycline hyclate, hydrochlorothiazide, and lisinopril. Results of photocatalytic studies show that after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation (with and without catalyst), the drugs degraded, no longer detectable by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Using Microtox analysis, the intensity of luminescence of saltwater bacteria was measured after the introduction of the UV treated and untreated drugs. Results indicate that all but doxycycline hyclate appear to be more toxic to the bioluminescent bacteria after UV radiation. It is hypothesized that radiation may degrade each molecule into smaller, more toxic components; however, the saltwater bacteria may not be comparable to a freshwater environment. More studies are being completed to further investigate the phenomenon.