The analysis of pharmaceuticals in drinking water by HPLC/ESI-MS/MS

The analytical method of four pharmaceuticals (virginiamycin, erythromycin, tylosin and cimetidine) in drinking water was developed. Effective simultaneous sample clean-up and extraction by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using HLB cartridge prior to LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis were performed. A linear correlation observed in the calibration curves for drinking water in the range of 0.01 similar to 2.0 ng/mL showed above r(2) = 0.995. Absolute recovery was in the range of 64.7 similar to 118.1% (except cimetidine (37.7 similar to 48.1%)). Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) in spiked drinking water matrix were in the range of 1.6 similar to 74.8 pg/mL and 5.5 similar to 249.7 pg/mL, respectively. The established method can be used to determine low pg/mL levels of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water.