title: Determination of selected antibiotics in the Victoria Harbour and the Pearl River, South China using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Nine selected antibiotics in the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong and the Pearl River at Guangzhou, South China, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that the concentrations of antibiotics were mainly below the limit of quantification (LOQ) in the marine water of Victoria Harbour. However, except for amoxicillin, all of the antibiotics were detected in the Pearl River during high and low water seasons with the median concentrations ranging from 11 to 67 ng/L, and from 66 to 460 ng/L, respectively; and the concentrations in early spring were about 2-15 times higher than that in summer with clearer diurnal variations. It was suggested that the concentrations of antibiotics in the high water season were more affected by wastewater production cycles due to quick refreshing rate, while those in the low water season may be more sensitive to the water column dynamics controlled by tidal processes in the river.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Wei-hai
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Xiang-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000032:analysis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D002980:Climate; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000032:analysis; D006723:Hong Kong; D018942:Macrolides / Q000032:analysis; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000032:analysis; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000032:analysis; D015363:Quinolones / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D013424:Sulfanilamides / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D015363:Quinolones; D013424:Sulfanilamides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004917:Erythromycin; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D000658:Amoxicillin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D009643:Norfloxacin