Abstract
Antidiabetic compounds are a class of emerging contaminants in environment, for which there are no regulations in the world environmental legislation. These compounds are among the most widely used drugs in the world due to the large number of patients with diabetic conditions. The presence of these pollutants in the environment is insufficiently studied, so efficient analytical methods are needed to allow their detection at trace levels (ng/L). For the simultaneously quantification of the five antidiabetics (glyburide, metformin, glipizide, gliclazide, glimepiride) and one bio-degradation product (guanyl urea) in surface water samples a SPE-LC-MS/MS (solid phase extraction -liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection) method was validated using real river water samples. The compounds were separated on C18 LC column in 9 minutes at 300C using a gradient of mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile. Good performance parameters were obtained using the method: low limits of quantification (LOQs 0.1-2.4 ng/L), precision (repeatability 3.5-7.2% and reproducibility 6.5-12.7%) and determination coefficients (higher than 0.99). The most contaminated river was represented by Ialomita, which had a total concentration of antidiabetics of 112.1 ng/L in the downstream point, followed by the Siret and Dambovita rivers, which had a total concentration of antidiabetics of 66.3 ng/L and 57.3 ng/L, respectively, also in the downstream points.
Highlights
A large variety of pharmaceuticals such as antidiabetics, β-blockers, analgesics, antibiotics, antidepressants, lipid regulators, hormones have been monitored and detected in the environment, in surface waters and wastewaters [1, 2]
Antidiabetics prescribed include the classes: meglitinide, sulfonylurea derivatives, biguanidine [5]. These drugs were frequently detected in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) influents at ng/L concentration level, whereas in some cases comparable concentrations in the treated effluent were noticed
Materials and Reagents Standards with purity higher than 99.1% of hypoglycemic compounds and one degradation product urea were brought from Sigma-Aldrich
Summary
A large variety of pharmaceuticals such as antidiabetics, β-blockers, analgesics, antibiotics, antidepressants, lipid regulators, hormones have been monitored and detected in the environment, in surface waters and wastewaters [1, 2]. A high number of administered pharmaceuticals passes the human body unchanged by excretion and enters into wastewater. The excreted and unchanged pharmaceuticals pass the sewage treatment plant (STP) and the incomplete removal contributes to environmental presence [3]. The presence of pharmaceuticals residues in the aquatic environment represent one of the most urgent emerging environmental issues [4]. Antidiabetics prescribed include the classes: meglitinide (repaglinide), sulfonylurea derivatives (gliclazide, glibenclamide, glimepiride), biguanidine (metformin) [5]. These drugs were frequently detected in WWTP influents at ng/L concentration level, whereas in some cases comparable concentrations in the treated effluent were noticed. In Romania it was estimated in 2019 that the number of diabetes patients reached 900,000 [7]
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