An Overview of Analytical Methods to Determine Pharmaceutical Active Compounds in Aquatic Organisms

Abstract

There is increasing scientific evidence that some pharmaceuticals are present in the marine ecosystems at concentrations that may cause adverse effects on the organisms that inhabit them. At present, there is still very little scientific literature on the (bio)accumulation of these compounds in different species, let alone on the relationship between the presence of these compounds and the adverse effects they produce. However, attempts have been made to optimize and validate analytical methods for the determination of residues of pharmaceuticals in marine biota by studying the stages of sample treatment, sample clean-up and subsequent analysis. The proposed bibliographic review includes a summary of the most commonly techniques, and its analytical features, proposed to determine pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic organisms at different levels of the trophic chain in the last 10 years.

Analysis of Ketoprofen in Fish: Life Cycle Assessment Using Sensors vs. Conventional Methodology

“…Previous results have evidenced advantages regarding lower environmental impacts generated by the use of CPS for analytical purposes compared to traditional analytical techniques [12]. This study provides more detailed insight on this topic, taking ketoprofen, one of the most commonly consumed anti-inflammatory drugs and therefore one of the most frequently found drugs in the environment with potential to bioaccumulate and to cause adverse effects in ecosystems and on human health, as a reference analyte [14].…”