Department Environmental Chemistry

An automated multiresidue method consisting of an online solid-phase extraction step coupled to a high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometer (online-SPE–HPLC–MS/MS method) was developed for the determination of 88 polar organic micropollutants with a broad range of physicochemical properties (log D_OW (pH 7): −4.2 to 4.2). Based on theoretical considerations, a single mixed-bed multilayer cartridge containing four different extraction materials was composed for the automated enrichment of water samples. This allowed the simultaneous analysis of pesticides, biocides, pharmaceuticals, corrosion inhibitors, many of their transformation products, and the artificial sweetener sucralose in three matrices groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. Limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the environmentally relevant concentration range of 0.1–87 ng/L for groundwater and surface water, and 1.5–206 ng/L for wastewater. The majority of the compounds could be quantified below 10 ng/L in groundwater (82%) and surface water (80%) and below 100 ng/L in wastewater (80%). Relative recoveries were largely between 80 and 120%. Intraday and inter-day precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, were generally better than 10% and 20%, respectively. 50 isotope labeled internal standards were used for quantification and accordingly, relative recoveries as well as intraday and inter-day precision were better for compounds with corresponding internal standard. The applicability of this method was shown during a sampling campaign at a riverbank filtration site for drinking water production with travel times of up to 5 days. 36 substances of all compound classes investigated could be found in concentrations between 0.1 and 600 ng/L. The results revealed the persistence of carbamazepine and sucralose in the groundwater aquifer as well as degradation of the metamizole metabolite 4-acetamidoantipyrine.

This study focused on the input of hydrophilic biocides into the aquatic environment and on the efficiency of their removal in conventional wastewater treatment by a mass flux analysis. A fully automated method consisting of on-line solid phase extraction coupled to LC-ESI-MS/MS was developed and validated for the simultaneous trace determination of different biocidal compounds (1,2-benzisothiazoline-3-one (BIT), 3-Iodo-2-propynylbutyl-carbamate (IPBC), irgarol 1051 and 2-N-octyl-4-isothiazolinone (octhilinone, OIT), carbendazim, diazinon, diuron, isoproturon, mecoprop, terbutryn and terbutylazine) and pharmaceuticals (diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole) in wastewater and surface water. In the tertiary effluent, the highest average concentrations were determined for mecoprop (1010 ng/L) which was at comparable levels as the pharmaceuticals diclofenac (690 ng/L) and sulfamethoxazole (140 ng/L) but 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the other biocidal compounds. Average eliminations for all compounds were usually below 50%. During rain events, increased residual amounts of biocidal contaminants are discharged to receiving surface waters.

A fully automated online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) instrumental setup has been developed for the quantification of sulfonamide antibiotics and pesticides in natural water. The direct coupling of an online solid phase extraction cartridge (Oasis HLB) to LC-MS/MS was accomplished using column switching techniques. High sensitivity in the low ng/L range was achieved by large volume injections of 18 mL with a combination of a tri-directional autosampler and a dispenser system. This setup allowed high sample throughput with a minimum of investment costs. Special emphasis was placed on low cross contamination. The chosen approach is suitable for research as well as for monitoring applications. The flexible instrumental setup was successfully optimised for different important groups of bioactive chemicals resulting in three trace analytical methods for quantification of (i) sulfonamide antibiotics and their acetyl metabolites; (ii) neutral pesticides (triazines, phenylureas, amides, chloracetanilides) and (iii) acidic pesticides (phenoxyacetic acids and triketones). Absolute extraction recoveries from 85 to 112% were obtained for the different analytes. More than 500 samples could be analyzed with one extraction cartridge. The inter-day precision of the method was excellent indicated by relative standard deviations between 1 and 6%. High accuracy was achieved by the developed methods resulting in maximum deviation relative to the spiked amount of 8-15% for the different analytes. Detection limits for various environmental samples were between 0.5 and 5 ng/L. Matrix induced ion suppression was in general smaller than 25%. The performance of the online methods was demonstrated with measurements of concentration dynamics of sulfonamide antibiotics and pesticides concentrations in a little creek during rain fall events.