Evaluation of Different Wipes’ Performance for Sampling the  Antineoplastic Drug 5-Fluorouracil from Various Surfaces

Zahra  Beigzadeh; Farideh  Golbabaei; Mahdi  Niknam Shahrak; Fariborz  Omidi; Seyed   Jamaleddin Shahtaheri

doi:10.18502/jhsw.v14i3.18361

Zahra Beigzadeh Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Farideh Golbabaei Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahdi Niknam Shahrak Department of Chemical Engineering, Quchan University of Technology, Quchan, Iran
Fariborz Omidi Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, School of Public Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
Seyed Jamaleddin Shahtaheri Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jhsw.v14i3.18361

Abstract

Introduction: The use of antineoplastic drugs in cancer treatment, while essential, poses risks due to
their non-selective action on both cancerous and healthy cells. Assessing and controlling environmental
contamination with these drugs in workplaces is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of
various commercial wipes in sampling the antineoplastic drug 5-fluorouracil from surfaces to develop
standardized sampling methods.
Material and Methods: This study assessed the efficiency of commonly used commercial wipes
(Whatman cellulose filter, cotton swab, Millipore™ filter, sterile gauze pad, and alcohol pad) for sampling
5-fluorouracil from different surfaces (stainless steel, vinyl, and ceramic). The sampling area was
defined using disposable cardboard frames, and 1000 microliters of a 1 µg/mL 5-fluorouracil solution
were applied to each surface. Sampling and extraction were conducted following NIOSH guidelines. The
frame dimensions were 10 × 10 cm, limiting the sampling area to 100 square centimeters. Analysis was
performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and results were analyzed using Prism
GraphPad software, version 8.
Results: The sampling efficiency varied across wipes and surfaces, ranging from 11.2% to 86.2%. Alcohol
pads showed the highest efficiency on stainless steel surfaces, while the Millipore™ filter had the lowest
efficiency across all surfaces. Extraction efficiency ranged from 43.8% to 98.8%, with alcohol pads
providing the highest recovery. Sample stability was maintained over 15 days.
Conclusion: Alcohol pads were most effective in collecting and extracting 5-fluorouracil, particularly from
hard, smooth surfaces such as stainless steel and ceramic. These findings may improve sampling methods,
thereby reducing occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs. Further research on different wipes and
extraction parameters could refine drug analysis techniques.