A comparison of aquatic species responses to anticancer drug exposure

Abstract

To date, limited research has been conducted on the effects of cytotoxic drugs on aquatic species. Three of these species, a single celled plant, an invertebrate and a fish, were exposed to six cytotoxic drugs, both singly and as simple mixtures. A range of endpoints were assessed, including growth inhibition in algae, immobilisation in daphnia and the impact on organ size and the expression of the DNA damage repair genes RAD51 and p53 in zebrafish. No effects at environmentally relevant concentrations were observed in any of the three species.