Analysis Of Pharmaceutical Residues Research Articles

Comparison of Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry and Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Pharmaceutical Residues in Biota Samples

Comparison of Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry and Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Pharmaceutical Residues in Biota Samples

Extraction and analysis of pharmaceuticals in polluted sediment using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

A multi-residue method for the extraction and clean-up of sediment samples was developed for the analysis of pharmaceutical residues. Sediment samples were collected in the proximity of sewage water plant in Stockholm, Sweden. Target analytes were the basic β-blocker propranolol, the neutral neuroleptic carbamazepine and the acidic anticoagulant warfarin, the painkiller diclofenac and the lipid regulator gemfibrozil. The extraction solvent was optimised with regard to pH and organic modifer. Extraction and clean up were performed with liquid-liquid extraction and ultra-sonication followed by solid-phase extraction. One extraction solvent, containing acetone/McIlvaine buffer pH4, provided satisfactory extraction for all substances. LC/MSMS in the MRM mode was used for determination. The recoveries of the extraction and clean-up steps were 60–75% (±2–8%) and LOQs were in the range 0.4–8 ng/g sediment (dry weight). The pharmaceuticals found in the sediment samples were propranolol and carbamazepine, representing substances with basic and neutral properties. Additionally, the samples were analysed with LC/QTOF for verification with the use of accurate mass measurement in the full-scan mode. Pharmaceuticals not represented in the original method were looked for. Non-target pharmaceuticals found using the LC/QTOF system were the basic β-blocker metoprolol and the acidic painkiller naproxen.

Public Health Care Management of Water Pollution with Pharmaceuticals: Environmental Classification and Analysis of Pharmaceutical Residues in Sewage Water

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in surface water is an emerging problem in developed countries. If such pollution is transferred to drinking water, the resulting involuntary low-dose medication of large population groups may compromise public health. In addition, aquatic life may be compromised. The Stockholm County Council, the provider of public healthcare in the Stockholm, Sweden region, has introduced a classification of pharmaceutical drugs according to their potential for accumulation in surface water and interference with aquatic life. The classification utilizes producer-supplied data on biodegradation, bioaccumulation, and eco-toxicity. The purpose of the classification is to increase the awareness of patients, doctors, and producers that pharmaceuticals may have side effects outside the patient. Hence, doctors and patients may make a more multi-factorial selection of drug in cases where several therapeutically-equivalent alternatives are available. The program will be evaluated by annual analyses of pharmaceuticals in regional surface water and sewage treatment plant effluents. In the first classification, 12 of 22 antibiotics and virus inhibitors were considered to pose little risk to public health via surface water accumulation or to aquatic life. Detectable levels of quinolones, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and metronidazole were found in all sewer treatment plant effluents investigated. In the surface water samples pharmaceutical residues were observed only occasionally.

Fate and Analysis of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Aquatic Environment

The presence of pharmaceuticals in different compartments of the environment is a new challenge not only for technologists of water and wastewater treatment but also for analytical chemists involved in development of new analytical methods. Many drugs are not completely degraded in the human body. They are often excreted after only slight transformation or in unchanged form, mainly as polar molecules (clofibric acid, primidone). It has been proved in many studies that substances of pharmaceutical origin are not eliminated in the process of water treatment; their biodegradation in the environment is also difficult (1). Detailed chemical analysis of water is necessary for the safe use of water resources. It is important to identify all pollutants present in water and, hence, to fully evaluate water quality and predict effect on humans. The continuous improvement of analytical techniques makes it possible to identify a wider spectrum of components and improve detection limits. A brief review of input by different sources, and fate and analysis of pharmaceuticals, parapharmaceuticals, and their metabolites in environment is presented.