PH07 Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Chiral Pollutants
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Thursday
(PH070) Measurement of Pharmaceutical Stereoisomers in Environmental Waters.
Nikolai, L1, Wong, C1, 1 University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ABSTRACT- Chiral liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) methods were developed, validated, and used to assess environmental occurrence of pharmaceutical stereoisomers in natural waters. Chiral reverse phase HPLC was used to separate the stereoisomers of pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, fenoprofen and ketoprofen. Selected achiral pharmaceuticals were also studied, including diclofenac, clofibric acid and gemfibrozil. The drugs chosen for this study were based on recent research that has reported their presence in sewage effluent and open waters in North America and Europe. Little work has been done to date to determine the stereochemistry of the many chiral pharmaceuticals that exist once they are released into the environment. This understanding is crucial in understanding the potential effects of such drugs and their stereoisomers. Target analytes were extracted by solid phase extraction from aquatic samples from Lac la Biche, Alberta and the North Saskatchewan River at Edmonton, and measured by HPLC/tandem MS. These samples were used to validate the methodology developed and to determine the occurrence of chiral pharmaceuticals in the Alberta aquatic environment. Preliminary results suggest stereoselective degradation of these pharmaceuticals is occurring in these ecosystems.
Key words: chiral, Pharmaceuticals, HPLC, Alberta