Abstract
Although most of the analytical methods developed for the monitoring of contaminants in environmental waters are based on discrete grab sampling, an alternative of increasing interest is the use of passive sampling. Methods based on passive sampling provide the sampling and pre-concentration of the analytes in-situ, which makes the sample treatment less time consuming and costly than using discrete grab sampling. In this study, ceramic passive samplers (CPSs) using mixed-mode strong cation-exchange sorbent (Oasis MCX) as retention phase were evaluated for the determination of a group of 21 therapeutic and illicit drugs and some of their metabolites in river water samples that were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. After assessing the stability of the analytes, the CPSs were calibrated for 9 days with bottled water and river water, obtaining, for the 19 stable compounds, sample rates (Rs) ranging between 0.180 and 1.767 mL/day and diffusion coefficients (De) between 2.02E-8 and 2.81E-7 cm2/s. Once calibrated, CPSs were deployed for the determination of contaminants in the Ebre River, with good reproducibility, and some of the analytes were determined, including amongst others, gabapentin at 76 ng/L, caffeine at 203 ng/L or diclofenac amine at 57 ng/L. The passive sampling method herein presented is simple and feasible and allows the time-integrated analysis of pharmaceuticals and drugs at trace levels in river water. This study opens the possibility of using other mixed-mode sorbents or other types of sorbents as retaining phase on CPSs for the determination of very polar contaminants in water.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.