GC-MS Determination of Trace Amounts of Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
Keywords:
drinking water, pharmaceuticals, GC-MSAbstract
The aim of this study was GC-MS screening of drinking water supplies for the presence of traces of pharmaceuticals. The target analytes were naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine and 17α-ethynylestradiol. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for for their preconcetration. Derivatization of target analytes in the eluted extracts was performed using N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide. Limits of quantification were less than 0.5 ng/L for naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine and less than 2.0 ng/L for 17α-ethynylestradiol. The presence of target pharmaceuticals in drinking water in the Czech Republic is very rare; their concentrations range on the ng/L level.