Determination of multi-class emerging contaminants in sludge and recovery materials from waste water treatment plants: Development of a modified QuEChERS method coupled to LC–MS/MS

Publication date: June 2020Source: Microchemical Journal, Volume 155Author(s): Barbara Benedetti, Mauro Majone, Chiara Cavaliere, Carmela Maria Montone, Francesco Fatone, Nicola Frison, Aldo Laganà, Anna Laura CapriottiAbstractRecycling and recovering valuable resources from wastewater treatment plants is an important aspect in circular economy. The safe use of sludge and sludge-related products deriving from wastewater treatment strictly depends on their chemical contamination, especially by emerging pollutants. In this work, an analytical method was developed for the determination of a range of selected compounds, included in a recent European watch-list (macrolides, fluoroquinolones, neonicotinoids, carbamates and estrogens), in recovery materials from innovative pilot systems. Both the instrumental analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the pre-treatment strategy (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe technique) were optimized for the purpose. The final method performance were evaluated, revealing determination coefficients (R2) of 0.993–0.9999 for the matrix-matched calibration curves, good accuracy (recovery 68–104% and matrix effect 70–123%), satisfactory precision (relative standard deviation <20%) and limits of detection and quantitation in the low ng g−1 levels. Ten different recovery material samples were analyzed, showing contamination by few analytes, mainly antibiotics and estrone; ciprofloxacin and ...
Source: Microchemical Journal - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research