Validation and application of an analytical method for the determination of selected acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogenic hormones in wastewater and sludge.
This study was undertaken to develop an extraction method for seven acidic pharmaceuticals and five steroidal estrogens from wastewater, treated wastewater and sludge samples. The temperature and time of sample derivatization using N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide was optimized. Our results show that pretreatment combined with solid phase extraction (SPE) for wastewater samples (using an ENVI-C18 cartridge) and liquid-solid extraction combined with SPE (using an HLB cartridge) for sludge samples increased the analytical efficiency for acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogenic hormones using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The derivatization conditions were optimized at 40°C for 2 h. In addition, the derivatized samples were stable at ambient temperature. The new method was validated and applied to the analysis of real wastewater and discharged sludge samples from a local wastewater treatment plant. Except for 17α-ethinylestradiol, all acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogens were detected in the influent, effluent and discharged sludge samples. The concentrations of these compounds were particularly high in the discharged sludge samples.
a Department of Environmental Science and Engineering , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.
Mengtao
M
Zhang
b School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology , Hefei , China.
Qianhui
Q
Mao
b School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology , Hefei , China.
Jingwei
J
Feng
b School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology , Hefei , China.
Shoujun
S
Yuan
c Department of Chemistry , Delaware State University , Dover , Delaware , USA.
Qiquan
Q
Wang
d Department of Chemistry , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.
Deying
D
Huang
a Department of Environmental Science and Engineering , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.
Jibiao
J
Zhang
D000081:Acetamides / Q000737:chemistry; D000143:Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D000081:Acetamides; D000143:Acids; D004967:Estrogens; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012722:Sewage; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C103255:N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide
Solid phase extraction; derivatization; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; wastewater treatment plant