Photochemical Fate of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment:  Cimetidine and Ranitidine

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 37; no. 15; pp. 3342 - 3350
• Main Authors: Latch, Douglas E, Stender, Brian L, Packer, Jennifer L, Arnold, William A, McNeill, Kristopher
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.08.2003
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and physicochemical phenomena; Chemical reactions; cimetidine; Cimetidine - analysis; Cimetidine - chemistry; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Electrons; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Exact sciences and technology; Experiments; Half-Life; Histamine H2 Antagonists - analysis; Histamine H2 Antagonists - chemistry; Hydroxyl Radical - chemistry; Natural water pollution; Oxidants - chemistry; Oxidation; Pharmaceuticals; Photochemistry; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; ranitidine; Ranitidine - analysis; Ranitidine - chemistry; Water pollution; Water treatment and pollution; Drug; Pollutant behavior; Cimetidine; Free radical reaction; Chemical reaction kinetics; Persistence; Oxygen molecules; Ranitidine; Reaction mechanism; Oxidation; Water pollution; Antagonist; Solar radiation; Singlet; Hydroxyl; H2 Histamine receptor; Organic compounds; Photochemical degradation

The photochemical fates of the histamine H2-receptor antagonists cimetidine and ranitidine were studied. Each of the two environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals displayed high rates of reaction with both singlet oxygen (1O2, O2(1Δg)) and hydroxyl radical (•OH), two transient oxidants formed in sunl...