No abstract

No abstract

Knowledge of the presence of micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, in coastal areas, is very limited; therefore, the main objective of this study was to optimize and validate a new analytical method for the quantitative analysis of 13 multiclass pharmaceuticals in seawater. Target compounds included antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, lipid regulators and one psychiatric drug. A combination of solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled with multiple mass spectrometry enabled their detection at the low nanogram per litre level. The limits of quantification varied between 1 and 50 ng L(-1), for most components the linearities were more than 0.99 and the recoveries obtained in seawater (95-108%) were satisfactory. This method was applied to seawater and estuarine water samples collected in the Belgian coastal zone, to assess the prevalence of common pharmaceuticals in this marine environment. Seven pharmaceuticals, including compounds of which the presence in marine environments had not been reported earlier, were detected, with salicylic acid and carbamazepine being the most abundant, in concentrations up to 855 ng L(-1).

A residue is a trace (µg kg −1 , ng kg −1 ) of a substance, present in a matrix. Banned substances, such as growth promoters, which are abused in animal fattening and where this article is focused on, may be divided into four major groups: thyreostats, anabolics or anabolic steroids, corticosteroids and beta-agonists or repartitioning agents. The combination of chromatographic techniques with mass spectrometry (GC-MS n , LC-MS n , etc.) plays a key role in the production of specific results in residue analysis. In this review, the past, present and future of mass spectrometry in this area are discussed in the light of the impact of these substances on human health and the reliable production of analytical results, ready for challenge in a court.

No abstract