Direct Injection UHPLC-MS/MS for Multi-Residue Analysis of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products (PPCPs) and Pesticides in Water

Drinking Water
Oral Presentation

Presented by K. Organtini
Prepared by D. Stevens1, P. Hancock2
1 - Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, Massachusetts, 01757, United States
2 - Waters Corporation, Stamford Ave, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 4AX, United Kingdom


Contact Information: [email protected]; 508-369-8311

ABSTRACT

A comprehensive analytical approach was developed to quantify more than 190 pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and associated transformation products in drinking and surface waters using a direct aqueous injection, multi‑residue UHPLC-MS/MS method. The workflow was developed to address evolving European Union (EU) Water Framework and Drinking Water Directives, including Watch List requirements, which continue to expand the scope of regulated and monitored contaminants. Although the method was initially developed to address EU regulatory priorities, its broad analyte coverage and direct injection workflow are equally adaptable to emerging monitoring needs and contaminant surveillance efforts in the Americas including the reduced use of extraction solvents.

Method performance was assessed using the ACQUITY™ Premier System coupled to a Xevo™ TQ Absolute tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI). Three representative water matrices including tap water, surface water, and bottled mineral water were fortified at 10, 25, and 125 ng/L, with six replicates per level. Across all analytes, trueness and precision were evaluated to characterize robustness in both simple and complex matrices. In river water, the most challenging matrix, mean trueness was 92%, with individual values ranging from 57% to 131% across spike levels. The mean relative standard deviation (RSD) for trueness was 5%, and 99% of all matrix level combinations exhibited RSD values below 20%.

These results demonstrate that the method delivers reliable quantification across a broad suite of emerging contaminants and is suitable for use in monitoring programs that require high analytical confidence.