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Development and application of a multi-residue method for the determination of 53 pharmaceuticals in water, sediment, and suspended solids using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

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An Erratum to this article was published on 08 October 2015

Abstract

Comprehensive source and fate studies of pharmaceuticals in the environment require analytical methods able to quantify a wide range of molecules over various therapeutic classes, in aqueous and solid matrices. Considering this need, the development of an analytical method to determine 53 pharmaceuticals in aqueous phase and in solid matrices using a combination of microwave-assisted extraction, solid phase extraction, and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry is reported. Method was successfully validated regarding linearity, repeatability, and overall protocol recovery. Method detection limits (MDLs) do not exceed 1 ng L−1 for 40 molecules in aqueous matrices (6 ng L−1 for the 13 remaining), while subnanogram per gram MDLs were reached for 38 molecules in solid phase (29 ng g−1 for the 15 remaining). Losses due to preparative steps were assessed for the 32 analytes associated to their labeled homologue, revealing an average loss of 40 % during reconcentration, the most altering step. Presence of analytes in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent aqueous phase and suspended solids (SS) as well as in river water, SS, and sediments was then investigated on a periurban river located in the suburbs of Bordeaux, France, revealing a major contribution of WWTP effluent to the river contamination. Sorption on river SS exceeded 5 % of total concentration for amitriptyline, fluoxetine, imipramine, ritonavir, sildenafil, and propranolol and appeared to be submitted to a seasonal influence. Sediment contamination was lower than the one of SS, organic carbon content, and sediment fine element proportion was accountable for the highest measured concentrations.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been carried out in the framework of the Cluster of Excellence COTE. The authors would like to thank the Etiage program (Agence de l’Eau Adour-Garonne, the Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux (CUB) and Lyonnaise des Eaux) and the Aquitaine Region and the European Union (CPER A2E project) for their financial support. Europe is moving in Aquitaine with the European Regional Development Fund.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC-LPTC, University of Bordeaux, 33405, Talence, France

    Yann Aminot, Patrick Pardon & Hélène Budzindki

  2. Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) Aquitaine, Service Santé Environnement, 103 Bis Rue Belleville, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    Xavier Litrico & Mélodie Chambolle

  3. LyRE, Research and Development Center of Lyonnaise des Eaux, 33300, Bordeaux, France

    Christine Arnaud

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  1. Yann Aminot
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  6. Hélène Budzindki
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Correspondence to Hélène Budzindki.

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Aminot, Y., Litrico, X., Chambolle, M. et al. Development and application of a multi-residue method for the determination of 53 pharmaceuticals in water, sediment, and suspended solids using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 407, 8585–8604 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-9017-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-9017-3

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