title: Determination of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in aqueous samples using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are among the most frequently prescribed agents for reducing morbidity and mortality related to coronary heart disease. Four major statin drugs, atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin, were determined using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with methylammonium acetate as an additive in the mobile phase. Protonated atorvastatin, and methylammonium-adducted lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin were selected as precursor ions, and product ions were detected by selected reaction monitoring in positive-ion mode. The instrumental detection limits of atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin are 0.7, 0.7, 8.2 and 0.9 pg, respectively. A solid-phase extraction method was developed to enrich the analytes from aqueous samples. All of the statins were detected in an untreated sewage sample at 4-117 ng/l and in a treated sewage sample at 1-59 ng/1; but only atorvastatin was detected in a surface water sample at 1 ng/l.
authors.affiliation: Water Quality Center, Trent University, 3720 Nassau Mills Road, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiu-Sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water