Identification and determination of metabolites and degradation products of sulfonamide antibiotics

Sulfonamide residues have been detected in all kinds of environmental water matrix. However, little attention has been so far paid to their metabolites and degradation products, and very few articles have included them in their analytical scope. The main goal of this article is to review those research studies in which both parent drugs and their respective metabolites have been considered together. We review the analytical methodologies used and assess biotic and abiotic degradation mechanisms of these antibiotics, and briefly evaluate their potential toxicity in the environment. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.