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Life sciences · Journal article
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering · August 7, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This case study applied the EMA environmental risk assessment framework to antineoplastic drug consumption in a Brazilian region over one year, estimating predicted environmental concentrations and risk quotients for 43 identified drugs. No significant environmental risk was identified overall, though bioconcentration and persistence were noted for several compounds. The authors recommend long-term monitoring and future regulatory guidelines, indicating the work is exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than definitive.
Descriptive environmental risk assessment case study. Residents of Florianópolis, southern Brazil, served by two high-complexity oncology centres; data source includes antineoplastic drug consumption records from these facilities.. Intervention: Environmental exposure to antineoplastic drugs via patient excretion; 43 drugs identified and assessed. Florianópolis, southern Brazil; two high-complexity oncology centres.
43 antineoplastic drugs identified in Florianópolis; capecitabine (140.2 µg.inhab−1.day−1), hydroxycarbamide (113.0 µg.inhab−1.day−1), and fluorouracil (11.6 µg.inhab−1.day−1) showed highest consumption 20 drugs met Phase II evaluation criteria; only 13 could be evaluated due to availability of ecotoxicological data Risk Quotient analysis: only imatinib initially presented RQ > 1; decreased to 1.0 in Phase II tier B; overall RQ values ranged from 0.325 (imatinib) to 1.1 × 10−6 (ifosfamide)
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
This assessment provides regional baseline data on antineoplastic drug environmental exposure and suggests low acute environmental risk under current EMA frameworks. However, the authors' call for long-term monitoring and regulatory guidelines indicates that evidence remains insufficient to change clinical practice or prescribing behaviour, and clinicians should await studies with broader geographic scope and longer follow-up.
A single-center descriptive environmental risk assessment using regulatory framework data for a specific region, without comparative or control design, providing first evidence of antineoplastic drug exposure but requiring long-term confirmation.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
This assessment provides regional baseline data on antineoplastic drug environmental exposure and suggests low acute environmental risk under current EMA frameworks. However, the authors' call for long-term monitoring and regulatory guidelines indicates that evidence remains insufficient to change clinical practice or prescribing behaviour, and clinicians should await studies with broader geographic scope and longer follow-up.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Antineoplastic drugs are extensively used in cancer therapy and are mainly released into the environment via patient excretion. Due to their toxicological, mutagenic, and cytostatic effects, these compounds may pose risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. This study assessed antineoplastic drug consumption in the Florianópolis region (southern Brazil) over a 1-year period using data from two high-complexity oncology centers. A total of 43 drugs were identified, with capecitabine, hydroxycarbamide, and fluorouracil showing the highest consumption rates (140.2, 113.0, and 11.6 µg.inhab -1.day -1, respectively). An environmental risk assessment was conducted in accordance with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) framework. Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PECs) were estimated for all compounds, and 20 drugs met the criteria for Phase II evaluation, although only 13 could be evaluated due to the availability of ecotoxicological data. Risk Quotient (RQ) analysis indicated that only imatinib initially presented RQ > 1; however, its RQ decreased to 1 in Phase II tier B. Overall, no significant environmental risk was identified, with RQ values ranging from 0.325 (imatinib) to 1.1 × 10 − 6 (ifosfamide), well below moderate-risk thresholds. Physicochemical properties indicated bioconcentration potential for mitotane, tamoxifen, and diethylstilbestrol, and high persistence for vinblastine. These results reinforce the need for long-term, compound-specific monitoring and future regulatory guidelines for antineoplastic drugs as emerging contaminants.
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