Research warning about chemotherapy residues
date: 28/06/2016
Project: Fate and effects of cytostatic pharmaceu...
Project coordinator: CYTOTHREAT
See also: CORDIS
The risk posed by pharmaceutical residues in the environment has been recognised for more than 30 years. Concerns have centred on traces of antibiotics, which can induce resistance in harmful bacteria, and endocrine disruptors, which can alter the action of hormones in the human body. Very little work has however been done on the powerful chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of cancer. These ‘cytostatic’ drugs are designed to attack the DNA of cancer cells; so what happens if they find their way into the aquatic environment?