A LC-MS/MS based methodology for the environmental monitoring of healthcare settings contaminated with antineoplastic agents

BACKGROUND: Adverse health events associated with the exposure of healthcare workers to antineoplastic drugs are well documented in literature and are often related to the chemical contamination of work surfaces. It is therefore crucial for healthcare professionals to validate the efficiency of safety procedures by periodic biological and environmental monitoring activities where the main methodological limitations are related to the complexity, in terms of chemical-physical features and chemical-biological stability, of the drugs analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here we describe the evaluation and application of a UHPLC-MS/MS based protocol for the environmental monitoring of hospital working areas potentially contaminated with methotrexate, iphosphamide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, irinotecan, and paclitaxel. This methodology was used to evaluate working areas devoted to the preparation of chemotherapeutics and combination regimens at the University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona” in Salerno (Italy). RESULTS: Our analyses allowed to uncover critical aspects in both working protocols and workspace organization, which highlighted, among others, cyclophosphamide and iphosphamide contamination. Suitable adjustments adopted after our environmental monitoring campaign significantly reduced the exposure risk for healthcare workers employed in the unit analyzed. CONCLUSION: The use of sensitive analytical approaches such as LC-MS/MS coupled to an accurate wiping procedure in routine environmental monitoring allows to effectively improve chemical safety for exposed workers.