Investigation of Furuladone Hydrolytic and Photolytic Degradation in Aqueous Environmental Systems_  
**C. V. Efthymiou, V. I. Boti \({}^{*}\) and T. A. Albanis**  
Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece  
\({}^{*}\) Correspondence: vboti@uoi.gr  
Nitrofurans are a series of pharmaceutical substances used as therapeutic agents to promote animal health, but they may provoke significant effects to natural ecosystems and, in many cases, potential issues harmful to human health. Furuladone (FTD) is an antibiotic drug that belongs to the nitrofuran group. It is used as an antibacterial agent to prevent bacterial and protozoan infections. The parent compounds, such as FTD, are metabolized, resulting in stable metabolites that exhibit adverse effects as mutagenesis, teratogenesis, and carcinogenesis in humans. For this reason, FTD, along with other nitrofurans, were banned from use in the EU in 1993 [1]. Nevertheless, due to the cost-effectiveness of nitrofurans, they have been produced and supplied in many developing countries. For example, imported aquaculture, poultry, and pork products consist of nitrofuran residues and metabolites from FTD [2]. Despite the interest, a few studies focus on the fate of furuladone residues in the environment. This study aims to investigate the behaviour of FTD in aquatic systems such as lakes, rivers, and sea, by observing its hydrolysis and photolytic degradation. For the hydrolysis determination, samples of FTD were observed in various pH values (4-10) for 30 days. In order to simulate degradation processes that take place in the aquatic environment, photodegradation experiments were carried out under natural artificial solar irradiation conditions. Photodegradation under simulated irradiation conditions was performed using a Suntest CPS + apparatus from Heraeus (Hanau, Germany) equipped with a xenon arc lamp (1500 W) at an irradiance of 750 W/m\({}^{2}\), as well as special glass filters which blocked the transmission of wavelengths below 290 nm. FTD concentrations were determined by an LC-UV/Vis system from Shimadzu (Kyoto, Japan) using a gradient program. Concerning hydrolysis, results showed that this occurred for FTD after 30 days and only for pH 4 and 10. On the other hand, direct photolysis of FTD in distilled water and buffered solution occurred in both cases in less than one hour, indicating the liability of this compound to photodegradation as the main degradation route in the aquatic environment. ## References  
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Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece  
University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, 45110 Ioannina, Greece  
Correspondence: iokonst@uoi.gr  
In the last years, emerging contaminants have become a popular research venue due to their devastating effects on human health as well as on the environment. Pharmaceuticals (PhACs) are an important group of emerging contaminants that are released continuously in the environment from wastewater treatments plants (WWTPs), and they can have a biological response even though at very low concentrations [1]. Sewage sludge is produced as a solid matter in primary and secondary treatments. However, conventional WWTPs are not able to remove or completely degrade emerging pollutants, resulting in the presence of PhACs in sewage sludge after wastewater treatment.