A SPE-LC-MS/MS method for the detection of low concentrations of pharmaceuticals in industrial waste streams

A SPE-LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of three active pharmaceutical ingredients in the wastewater of a chemical synthesis production facility. The SPE-LC-MS/MS method was validated in actual influent and effluent samples. Linearity, LOD, LOQ, repeatability, intermediate precision, and recovery were determined. The LC-MS/MS method was used for an on-going monitoring program for these pharmaceuticals in wastewater. The method development techniques, validation procedures, and results from real wastewater samples are presented in this paper