A sensitive, simple and reliable multi-residue method was developed for the determination of 26 widely used veterinary antibiotics including 6 macrolides, 2 pleuromutilins, 4 tetracyclines, 2 lincosamides, 6 fluoroquinolones and 6 sulfonamides in different water matrices using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Water samples were lyophilized to dryness. Target compounds were separated on Zorbax SB-Aq column (150mm×2.1mm i.d., 3.5μm) and determined by LC-MS/MS operating in positive electrospray ionization mode. Spiked at concentration levels of 0.02, 0.4 and 4μgL(-1), recoveries of all target compounds were over 70% except sulfaquinoxaline (59.0% at 0.02μgL(-1)) with relative standard deviations below 20%. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) of 26 drugs ranged from 0.1 to 6.5ngL(-1) and from 0.3 to 19ngL(-1), respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of 26 antibiotics residues in fish pond water, groundwater, biogas digester water, and lagoon wastewater samples collected from local pig farms.
Keywords: Antibiotics; Environmental water; Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; Lyophilization.
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