Identification and Examination of Removal Efficiency of Six Anti-Cancer Drugs and Medicine Derived from the Oncology Building at Tel 'Ha'Shomer' Hospital

Daniel Zachor, Tel Aviv Univesity, Tel Aviv, Israel (daniel.zachor@gmail.com)

Gemcitabine, 5-Fluorouracil, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel and Dexamethasone are six anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals used extensively in hospitals worldwide, one of which is “Sheva ‘Tel Ha’Shomer” hospital, located the center of in Israel. These chemotherapy drugs are the most toxic chemical the human ever developed, they aim to destroy human cells.  The method of operation of these anti-cancer drugs is by interacting with the DNA strands and thus remains unchanged and active even after they exit the human body. They are resistant to wastewater treatment plant secondary biological treatment and may spread around various water environments thus, require an aggressive and effective advanced treatment. Due to hospitals, worldwide, are not required for wastewater pre-treatment, these compound discharge to the nearby domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), that already demonstrated insufficient removal of these toxic chemicals. Consequently, the chemotherapy drugs were detected in wastewater, WWTP effluents and surface water bodies. A specific and complicated analytical method using HPLC-UV-MS/MS and SPE sample preparation method was developed to detect these compounds in the aquatic environment. Cyclophosphamide, 5-Fluorouracil, Paclitaxel were found in “Sheva ‘Tel Ha’Shomer” hospital waste water.