An overview of analytical methodologies for the determination of antibiotics in environmental waters

The widespread occurrence of antibiotics as contaminants in the aquatic environment has increased attention in the last years. The concern over the release of antibiotics into the environment is related primarily to the potential for the development of antimicrobial resistance among microorganisms. This article presents an overview of analytical methodologies for the determination of quinolone (Qs) and fluoroquinolone (FQs), macrolide (MLs), tetracycline (TCs), sulfonamide (SAs) antibiotics and trimethoprim (TMP) in different environmental waters. The analysis of these antibiotics has usually been carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and to a lesser extent by ultraviolet (UV) or fluorescence detection (FD). A very important step before LC analysis is sample preparation and extraction leading to elimination of interferences and prevention of matrix effect and preconcentration of target analytes.     

Recent advances in sample preparation techniques and methods of sulfonamides detection – A review

Sulfonamides (SAs) have been the most widely used antimicrobial drugs for more than 70 years, and their residues in foodstuffs and environmental samples pose serious health hazards. For this reason, sensitive and specific methods for the quantification of these compounds in numerous matrices have been developed. This review intends to provide an updated overview of the recent trends over the past five years in sample preparation techniques and methods for detecting SAs. Examples of the sample preparation techniques, including liquid–liquid and solid-phase extraction, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and QuEChERS, are given. Different methods of detecting the SAs present in food and feed and in environmental, pharmaceutical and biological samples are discussed.     

A green method using micellar system for determination of sulfonamides in soil

A green and simple method was developed for determination of sulfonamides (SAs) in soil samples. The procedure was based on the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of SAs from soil using non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 as the extraction medium. Then sodium chloride was added into the MAE extract and the mixture was equilibrated for some time at high temperature. The analytes in the surfactant-rich phase were concentrated with the help of centrifugation and directly analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. None of potentially hazardous organic solvents was used in the whole sample preparation procedure. The significant variables for the performance of extraction and concentration were studied. The limits of detection of SAs obtained are in the range of 3.2-5.7 ng g⁻¹. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day tests ranging from 3.5% to 7.7% and from 4.6% to 9.5% are obtained, respectively. This method was applied to the determination of SAs in some soil samples with different characteristics. The SAs recoveries obtained at fortified level of 100 ng g⁻¹ for these samples are in the range of 81.2-93.7%. The effect of ageing time of spiked soil samples on the SAs recoveries was examined by the proposed method and a method reported in the literature. The recoveries of SAs decreased when the ageing time changed from 1 day to 4 weeks.