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1A - Environmental Analytical Methods (MO8/5) Development of techniques for the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds in sewage effluents and surface waters. Hilton, Martin1, Thomas, Kevin1, 1 Centre for the Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Burnham-On-Crouch, Essex, UK ABSTRACT- The potential adverse environmental effects associated with pharmaceuticals have received growing interest through the 1990's, with increased coverage in both the scientific and popular press. Published data suggest the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment at the low ng L -1 level, and exceptionally at the Key words: analysis, pharmaceuticals, surface waters |
g L-1 level, in both surface and ground waters. There are known to be large differences in the amounts of pharmaceuticals used in differing countries. In the UK, the Environment Agency (EA) has ranked substances based on their relative risk. Before monitoring can commence on the compounds identified as posing the greatest risk, robust methods of analysis need to be developed to allow these compounds to be analysed. While methods exist for the quantitative analysis of a number pharmaceutical compounds in environmental samples this is not the case for all. Here we describe the development of a generic SPE procedure followed by a series of HPLC-MSn methods to simultaneously analyse for paracetamol (recovery 75%, RSD 6.9%), mefenamic acid (24%, 7.9%), diclofenac (62%, 20%), propranolol (45%, 5.6%), dextropropoxyphene (63%, 3.9%), lofepramine (4.2%, 35%), tamoxifen (42%, 40%), clofibric acid (83%, 7.0%), and ibuprofen (117%, 22%), and a separate method to simultaneously analyse for the antibiotics erythromycin (73%, 30%), trimethoprim (123%, 2.5%), sulfamethoxazole (120%, 16%) and its metabolite acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (56%, 5.4%) in surface waters and sewage effluents.