Publication Abstract

Determination of selected human pharmaceutical compounds in effluent and surface water samples by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Determination of selected human pharmaceutical compounds in effluent and surface water samples by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

M.J. Hilton and K.V. Thomas

A simple method is presented for the analysis of thirteen pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical metabolite compounds in sewage effluents and surface waters. The pharmaceutical compounds were extracted using a generic solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure using Phenomenex Strata X as a stationary phase. Extracts were quantitatively analysed by four separate reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography, electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) techniques and quantified by comparison with an internal standard (C¹³-phenacetin). Recoveries and limits of detection (LOD) for sulfamethoxazole (120%, 50 ngL^-1), acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (56%, 50 ngL^-1), trimethoprim (123%, 10 ngL-1), erythromycin (73%, 10 ngL-1), paracetamol (75%, 50 ngL^-1), ibuprofen (117%, 20 ngL^-1), clofibric acid (83%, 50 ngL^-1), mefenamic acid (24%, 50 ngL^-1), diclofenac (62%, 20 ngL^-1), propranolol (45%, 10 ngL^-1), dextropropoxyphene (63%, 20 ngL^-1) and tamoxifen (42 %, 10 ngL^-1) were all acceptable. The recovery of lofepramine (4.2%) was too low to be of use in a monitoring programme. Application of the method to samples collected from UK sewage effluents and surface waters showed detectable concentrations of mefenamic acid, diclofenac, propranolol, erythromycin, trimethoprim and acetyl-sulfamethoxazole in both matrices. Ibuprofen and dextropropoxyphene were detected in sewage effluents alone. All other pharmaceutical compounds were below the methods limits of detection.

Reference:

M.J. Hilton and K.V. Thomas, 2003. Determination of selected human pharmaceutical compounds in effluent and surface water samples by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 1015(1-2): 129-141.

M.J. Hilton* and K.V. Thomas*

Journal of Chromatography A, 1015(1-2): 129-141