Environmental fate of sartans after treatment with sodium hypochlorite, the most widespread disinfection process

Emerging contaminants (ECs) pose significant environmental and health risks due to their persistence and incomplete removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). During the disinfection stage – commonly chlorination with sodium hypochlorite – these compounds can transform into disinfection by-products (DBPs), some of which are more toxic than the parent molecules. This review examines the environmental fate of sartans, a class of antihypertensive drugs increasingly detected in aquatic ecosystems. It analyzes the formation, degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological profiles of DBPs from Irbesartan, Olmesartan, and Candesartan. Results show that degradation typically initiates at side chains attached to the biphenyl moiety, producing recurrent DBPs that may serve as indicators of treatment efficiency. Ecotoxicity tests on Daphnia magna, Aliivibrio fischeri, and Raphidocelis subcapitata revealed that certain DBPs exhibit higher toxicity than their parent drugs, emphasizing the need for improved disinfection strategies to safeguard both environmental and public health.