The effect of signal suppression and mobile phase composition on the simultaneous analysis of multiple classes of acidic/neutral pharmaceuticals and personal care products in surface water by solid-phase extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography-negative electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Alan Guwy, Richard Dinsdale

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A new multi-residue method for the determination of 25 acidic/neutral pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory/analgesics, lipid regulating agents, diuretics, triazides, H2-receptor antagonists, cardiac glicozides and angiotensin II antagonists) and personal care products (sunscreen agents and preservatives) in surface water with the usage of a new technique: ultra performance liquid chromatography-negative electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated. The novel UPLC system with 1.7 µm particle-packed column allowed for good resolution of analytes with the application of low mobile phase flow rates (0.05 mL min-1) and short retention times (from 4.7 min to 13.3 min) delivering a fast and cost-effective multi-residue method. SPE with the usage of Oasis MCX strong cation-exchange mixed-mode polymeric sorbent was chosen for sample clean-up and concentration. The influence of mobile-phase composition, matrix assisted ion suppression and SPE recovery on the sensitivity of the method was identified and quantified. The instrumental limits of quantification varied from 0.2 µg L-1 to 30 µg L-1. The method limits of quantification were at low nanogram per litre levels and ranged from 0.3 ng L-1 to 30 ng L-1. The instrumental and method intra-day and inter-day repeatabilities were on average less than 5%. The method was successfully applied for the determination of PPCPs in River Taff. Thirteen compounds were determined in river water at levels ranging from a single to a few hundred nanograms per litre. Among them were ten pharmaceuticals (aspirin, salicylic acid, ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, furosemide, sulfasalazine and valsartan) and three personal care products (methyl- and ethylparaben and 4-benzophenone).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1299 - 1312
Number of pages13
JournalTalanta
Volume74
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Sep 2008

Keywords

  • pharmaceuticals and personal care products
  • ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
  • solid-phase extraction
  • multi-residue method
  • ion suppression
  • mobile-phase additives

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