Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are a group of compounds that include prescription
and over-the-counter drugs, drugs used in hospitals, veterinary drugs, and drugs used for fish
hatcheries. A variety of PhACs were reported in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent,
surface water, and groundwater as well as in drinking water. Most publications reported a
limited number of selected PhACs. The concentration levels of PhACs in water supplies and
drinking water vary, but are typically less than 100 ng/L. Although no known adverse human
health effects are associated with the detected PhACs, contamination from PhACs is of great
concern due to potential long-term health effects.
It is extremely difficult to analyze a broad spectrum list of PhACs. The first challenge is that
sample matrices may be relatively complex because most PhACs originate in wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and are typically present at trace concentrations. Therefore,
analytical methods must be highly specific and sensitive. In this regard, chromatographic
separation and mass spectrometric detection are often used. The second challenge is that
different classes of PhACs may have different properties and stabilities. Acidic, neutral, and
basic PhACs are difficult to analyze together in one method. Also, different sample preservation
and preparation approaches are often needed. In addition, analytical methods must be robust and
reliable to deal with varied matrices and concentration levels.
Highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/tandem mass
spectrometry (LC/ESI/MS/MS), coupled with solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample preparation
techniques, was used for the analysis of a wide range of selected PhACs in water. The method
performance including sensitivity, accuracy, and precision was studied. Includes abstract only.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 73 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 3 |
| Published : | 11/01/2007 |
