Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
4426369 Environmental Pollution 2009 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Fluoroquinolones like difloxacin (DIF) and sarafloxacin (SARA) are adsorbed in soil and enter the aquatic environment wherein they are subjected to photolytic degradation. To evaluate the fate of DIF and SARA, their photolysis was performed in water under stimulated natural sunlight conditions. DIF primarily degrades to SARA. On prolonged photodegradation, seven photoproducts were elucidated by HR-LC–MS/MS, three of which were entirely novel. The residual anti-bacterial activities of DIF, SARA and their photoproducts were studied against a group of pathogenic strains. DIF and SARA revealed potency against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The photoproducts also exhibited varying degrees of efficacies against the tested bacteria. Even without isolating the individual photoproducts, their impact on the aquatic environment could be assessed. Therefore, the present results call for prudence in estimating the fate of these compounds in water and in avoiding emergence of resistance in bacteria caused by the photoproducts of DIF and SARA.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Environmental Science Environmental Chemistry
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