Determination of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in river sediments and corresponding surface and ground water in the Danube River and tributaries in Serbia

Abstract

The aim of this study was the development of analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of 25 selected pharmaceuticals, metabolites, and pesticides, belonging to the various chemical classes, in river sediments and their corresponding surface and ground water with the purpose of monitoring the contamination levels. The methods were based on the solid-phase extraction as the sample preparation method for water samples, and the ultrasonic solvent extraction for the sediment samples, followed by the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. High recoveries were achieved for extraction from both water and sediment samples for the majority of analytes. Low limits of detection were achieved for all investigated compounds in the water sample (1-5 ng L(-1)) as well as in the sediment (1-3 ng g(-1)). Applicability of the developed methods was demonstrated by determination of pharmaceutical and pesticide residues in 30 surface water, 44 groundwater, and 5 sediment samples from the Danube River Basin in Serbia. Sixty percent of target compounds were detected in environmental samples. The most frequently detected analytes in river sediments were the pesticides dimethoate and atrazine, while carbamazepine and metamizole metabolites 4-AAA and 4-FAA were the most frequently found in water samples.

Statistical analysis of the influence of major tributaries to the eco-chemical status of the Danube River

“…These methods have been successfully applied to the Danube River (Radu et al 2014). With the advance of the analytical techniques or sampling collection and preparation methods (Roig et al 2011), the list of ecochemical parameters which can be statistically analyzed is constantly increasing (Antonijević et al 2014;Radović et al 2014). Unfortunately for many of them, we miss the historical data, either because they were not measured in the past or their values were below detection limits of previously used methods.…”

“…It is affected by various pollution sources coming from: intensive agricultural production (especially in the upper stream), food industry, large quantities of untreated municipal waste water, heavy industry, landfills, etc. (Radović et al 2014). This region is very densely populated, two biggest cities in Serbia are on the banks of the Danube (with total population greater than 2 millions), but pollution equally comes from smaller settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants, which provide home for 48 % of Serbian population.…”

Determination of pesticides residues in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) using QuEChERS and LC-MS/MS

“…However, some studies have adopted the method to be used for samples with low moisture content < 25%, such as cereals, reducing the amount of sample and added water to facilitate the interaction of the solvent with the pores of the sample (Radovic et al, 2015, Jakimska et al, 2014, Wen et al, 2014.…”

Magnetic ionic liquids as an efficient tool for the multiresidue screening of organic contaminants in river water samples

“…Uncontrolled disposal of pollutants in the aquatic environment may have harmful effects on human health due to the accumulation of these substances . Through sewage networks, drugs and estrogens can reach urban wastewater treatment plants.…”