PHOTOLYTIC DESTRUCTION AND POLYMERIC RESIN DECONTAMINATION OF AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS OF PHARMACEUTICALS

Amoxicillin, ampicillin, bleomycin, carmustine, cephalothin, dacarbazi ne, lomustine, metronidazole, norethindrone, streptozocin, sulfamethox azole, and verapamil were completely degraded in solution, without the production of mutagenic residues, by photolysis using a medium-pressu re mercury lamp in an all-quartz apparatus. A stream of air was passed through the solution and for amoxicillin, ampicillin, bleomycin, lomu stine, metronidazole, and norethindrone it was necessary to add hydrog en peroxide. Dilute aqueous solutions of ampicillin, bleomycin, carmus tine, cephalothin, lomustine, norethindrone, streptozocin, trimethopri m, and verapamil can be decontaminated using polymeric Amberlite resin s.