Standard addition method for the determination of pharmaceutical residues in drinking water by SPE–LC–MS/MS

Abstract

The study of the occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical compounds in drinking or waste water processes has become very popular in recent years. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical tool often used to determine pharmaceutical residues at trace level in water. However, many steps may disrupt the analytical procedure and bias the results. A list of 27 environmentally relevant molecules, including various therapeutic classes and (cardiovascular, veterinary and human antibiotics, neuroleptics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones and other miscellaneous pharmaceutical compounds), was selected. In this work, a method was developed using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and solid-phase extraction to determine the concentration of the 27 targeted pharmaceutical compounds at the nanogram per litre level. The matrix effect was evaluated from water sampled at different treatment stages. Conventional methods with external calibration and internal standard correction were compared with the standard addition method (SAM). An accurate determination of pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water was obtained by the SAM associated with UPLC-MS/MS. The developed method was used to evaluate the occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical compounds in some drinking water treatment plants in the west of France.

Gas chromatography/trace analysis of derivatized azelaic acid as a stability marker

“…This method was adopted to consider the loss of analyte during sample preparation and to account for the variation of the degree of substitution [18][19][20]. Furthermore, the standard addition method is used to account for the possible variation of responses between the tested compound and internal standard.…”

Rapid direct injection LC-MS/MS method for analysis of prioritized indicator compounds in wastewater effluent

“…Matrix effects of this direct injection method were significantly lower than those experienced when analyzing similar compounds using SPE-LC-MS/ MS in other studies. 65,66 3.2.4. Linearity and precision.…”

Development of On-Line Solid-Phase Extraction-Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method to Quantify Pharmaceutical, Glucuronide Conjugates and Metabolites in Water

“…Many studies have already described this phenomenon especially with wastewaters. The presence of organic or inorganic substance can cause inhibition (<1) or enhancement (>1) of a compound's signal [27][28][29]. In our case, natural organic matter may disturb the SPE step or mass ionization so the rationalization of the slopes provides a global overview of matrix effect but do not allow to identify the critical step.…”