Application Of A Microextraction Technique Based On Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction To The Analysis Of Cytostatics Drugs In Wastewaters

Abstract

Cytostatic drugs are compounds used in chemotherapy therapies against cancer. Its way of acting is attacking all the cells, not only the cancerous ones, for this reason they are potentially very dangerous1. After treatment part of these drugs reach the wastewater through the urine and feces, with a high percentage without metabolizing, like many other pharmaceutical compounds,2 making necessary their determination in enviromental samples. Therefore, due to the low concentrations in which they are found it is necessary to use extraction and preconcentration techniques able to detect these low concentrations. In addition, in order to reduce the use of toxic organic solvents and the extraction time, microextraction technique is the main trend. In this work, a novel microextraction procedure based on fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE)3 have been developed for the extraction and preconcentation of cytostatics drugs in wastewater samples. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) have been used as determination technique. Major parameters affecting the extraction process were optimized, reaching limits of detection similar to those in which these drugs would be in the environment (0.9 - 840 ng·L-1)4.