Ocorrência e ecotoxicidade de antidepressivos residuais em amostras do Rio Piracicaba (SP)

Abstract

Antidepressants are pharmaceutical products considered to be micropollutants and can cause behavioral changes that affect families' dynamics in casualties. After administration, most of these substances are excreted unchanged or as active metabolites. The objective of the study was to adapt and validate a methodology based on solid phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization source (HPLC-MS / MS) to analyze and monitor antidepressants venlafaxine, citalopram, fluoxetine and sertraline in water collected in four different spots of the Piracicaba River over seven consecutive days during the drought season. Validation process was carried out according to the criteria of the regulatory agency, Anvisa. The method demonstrated acceptable accuracy (76-119.8%) and precision (DPR <15%), high selectivity, and the LDs and LQs shows that the method is sensitive. All the antidepressants analyzed were detected in the concentration range of 1.0 to 4.48 ng L-1. In some places, the continuous presence of antidepressants was detected. Fluoxetine and sertraline were the compounds that had the most frequent detections. We hope that this study could serve as a guiding basis for the inclusion in the Brazilian legislation of drugs monitoring in aquatic environment.