Multi-residue quantification and screening of emerging organic micropollutants in the Belgian Part of the North Sea by use of Speedisk extraction and Q-Orbitrap HRMS

Francis Vanryckeghem; Steve Huysman; Herman Van Langenhove; Lynn Vanhaecke; Kristof Demeestere

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.049

Multi-residue quantification and screening of emerging organic micropollutants in the Belgian Part of the North Sea by use of Speedisk extraction and Q-Orbitrap HRMS

Mar Pollut Bull. 2019 May:142:350-360. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.049. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Authors

Francis Vanryckeghem¹, Steve Huysman², Herman Van Langenhove³, Lynn Vanhaecke⁴, Kristof Demeestere⁵

Affiliations

¹ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: francis.vanryckeghem@UGent.be.
² Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: steve.huysman@UGent.be.
³ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: herman.vanlangenhove@UGent.be.
⁴ Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Queen's University, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, University Road BT7 1NN, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lynn.vanhaecke@UGent.be.
⁵ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: kristof.demeestere@UGent.be.

PMID: 31232313
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.049

Abstract

Knowledge about the occurrence of emerging organic micropollutants in the marine environment is still very limited, especially when focusing on the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS). This study therefore optimized and validated a Speedisk® based SPE and LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS method to tackle the challenge of measuring the expected ultra-trace concentrations in seawater. This method was applied to 18 samples collected at different locations in the open sea and harbor of the BPNS. Forty-eight compounds, among which several pharmaceuticals, personal care products or pesticides described in the EU Watchlist, were detected - some for the first time in seawater - at concentrations ranging up to 156 ng L^-1. Moreover, the untargeted screening potential of the newly developed HRMS method was highlighted by revealing the presence of up to 1300 unknown components in a single sample and by assigning molecular formulae to those components demonstrating high discriminative potential between samples.

Keywords: Belgian Part of the North Sea; High-resolution mass spectrometry; Marine contamination; Personal care products; Pesticides; Pharmaceuticals.

MeSH terms

Belgium
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Cosmetics / analysis
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Mass Spectrometry / methods*
North Sea
Pesticides / analysis
Pharmaceutical Preparations / analysis
Reproducibility of Results
Seawater / chemistry
Solid Phase Extraction / methods*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Cosmetics
Pesticides
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Water Pollutants, Chemical