Sevoflurane
Summary
Due to its use and physicochemical properties, sevoflurane is emitted mainly to air. Small amounts of sevoflurane and its metabolites may also be released via wastewater. This risk assessment therefore focuses only on potential risks to the aquatic environment.
Persistence. Sevoflurane is potentially persistent.
Bioaccumulation. Sevoflurane has low potential for bioaccumulation.
Toxicity. Sevoflurane has moderate acute toxicity.
Risk. The use of sevoflurane (sales data Sweden 2022) has been considered to result in insignificant environmental risk.
This summary information for sevoflurane comes from fass.se.
Detailed information
Fass environmental information
Fass environmental information for Sevofluran Baxter from Baxter Medical (retrieved on 2026-09-02).
Excretion and metabolism
Sevoflurane is primarily eliminated unchanged via exhaled air. Only very small amounts are excreted into wastewater as the parent compound (< 0.01%), while 2–5% are excreted as the metabolite hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). The environmental risk assessment for the aquatic compartment is therefore based on these releases.
Hazard
Persistence: Available data indicate that neither sevoflurane nor its metabolite HFIP is readily biodegradable. Information on inherent biodegradation and environmental degradation is lacking. Sevoflurane is therefore considered potentially persistent.
Bioaccumulation: Sevoflurane has a low potential for bioaccumulation (log Dow 2.5 at pH 7). For the metabolite HFIP, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was 1.1–2.7 and the log Dow was 1.66, indicating a low potential for bioaccumulation.
Acute toxicity sevoflurane: There are data for 3 trophic levels for sevoflurane, most sensitive fish (Pimephales promelas) LC50 43000 microg/L.
Acute toxicity (HFIP): Data are available for three trophic levels. No effects were observed in algae or crustaceans up to 100 mg/L (EC50 >100 mg/L). Fish was the most sensitive group with an EC50 of 177 mg/L. Comment: Values reported as greater than are not according to the guidelines. The actual value may be lower.
Risk sevofluran
PEC/PNEC is based on total sold amount API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) in Sweden year 2022.
PEC = 0.000078 microg/L.
PNEC = Lowest LC50, 43000 microg/L/1000 (Assessment Factor (AF) for 3 acute studies) = 43 microg/L.
PEC/PNEC = 0.0000018 which gives the risk insignificant.
Risk HFIP
PEC/PNEC is based on total sold amount API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) in Sweden year 2022.
PEC = 0.03278 microg/L.
PNEC = Lowest EC50, > 100000 microg/L/1000 ((Assessment Factor (AF) for 3 acute studies) = 100 microg/L.
PEC/PNEC = 0.00033 which gives the risk insignificant.
References
Author: Health and Medical Care Administration, Region Stockholm