Sildenafil and tadalafil in simulated chlorination conditions: Ecotoxicity of drugs and their derivatives

Chlorination experiments on two drugs (sildenafil and tadalafil) were performed mimicking the conditions of a typical wastewater treatment process. The main transformation products were isolated by chromatographic techniques (Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Column Chromatography (CC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)) and fully characterized employing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) analyses. The environmental effects of the parent compounds and transformation products were evaluated using an overall toxicity approach that considered aquatic acute and chronic toxicity on Brachionus calyciflorus and Ceriodaphnia dubia as well as mutagenesis and genotoxicity on bacterial strains. The results revealed that both parent drugs did not show high acute and chronic toxicity for the organisms utilized in the bioassays while, chronic exposure to chlorine derivatives caused inhibition of growth population on rotifers and crustaceans. A mutagenic potential was found for all the compounds investigated. •Simulated disinfection process of pharmaceuticals was performed.•Toxicity and genotoxicity of sildenafil, tadalafil and their derivatives were evaluated.•Chlorine derivatives caused chronic toxicity on rotifers and crustaceans.•A mutagenic potential was found for all the compounds investigated.