Simultaneous determination of 11 illicit drugs and metabolites in wastewater by UPLC-MS/MS

Water Sci Technol. 2020 Nov;82(9):1771-1780. doi: 10.2166/wst.2020.445.

Abstract

Assessing collective drug consumption based on the concentrations of illicit drugs and their metabolites in wastewater is a new technology. Currently, this technology is receiving attention in China, and methods for multiple illicit drug detection in wastewater are urgently needed. In our study, a method with a short runtime (7 min), a small solid-phase extraction (SPE) loading volume (50 mL) and high sensitivity (lower limits of quantitation (LLOQs) ranged from 0.2 to 5 ng/L) was developed for the simultaneous determination of amphetamines, ketamine, opiates, cocaine and their metabolites in wastewater. Samples were enriched by SPE on a mixed-mode sorbent (Oasis MCX) and analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.1 to 2 ng/L, and the LLOQs varied between 0.2 and 5 ng/L. Moreover, the method developed was applied to real wastewater samples collected from 15 different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In the results, the most abundant compounds were morphine (1.8-46.6 ng/L) and codeine (3.7-24.9 ng/L), which were detected in 13 WWTPs. After successful optimization of the UPLC-MS/MS conditions and sample loading pH, the method developed is able to meet the needs of common illicit drug monitoring and high-throughput analysis requirements.

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Illicit Drugs*
  • Solid Phase Extraction
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Wastewater
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

  • Illicit Drugs
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical