Multi-residue methods for the determination of the myriad of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) entering in the environment are key elements for further assessment on their distribution and fate. Here, we have developed an analytical protocol for the simultaneous analysis of 195 prescription, over-the-counter, and illicit drugs by using a combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) and determination by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The method was applied to the analysis of influent sewage samples from 3 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from Cadiz Bay (SW Spain), enabling the quantification of more than 100 pharmaceuticals, 19 of them at average concentrations higher than 1 μg L^-1, including caffeine (92 μg L^-1), paracetamol (72 μg L^-1), and ibuprofen (56 μg L^-1), as well as several illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine). Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) was applied for 27 of the detected compounds to establish their consumption in the sampling area, which has been never attempted before. Caffeine, naproxen, and salicylic acid stood out because of their high consumption (638, 51, and 20 g d^-1·1000pop^-1, respectively). Regarding illicit drugs, cocaine showed the highest frequency of detection and we estimated an average consumption of 3683 mg d^-1·1000pop^-1 in Cadiz Bay. The combination of new HRMS methods, capable of discriminating thousands of chemicals, and WBE will allow for a more comprehensive characterization of chemical substances and their consumption in urban environments in the near future.

The use of psychoactive substances, including illegal drugs, drugs of abuse and psychiatric pharmaceuticals, is a major health and environmental issue. In particular, drugs are found in urban sewage and water ecosystems. The analysis of drugs in wastewater is challenging because drugs occur at trace levels in complex organo-mineral media, calling for advanced analytical methods. Here we review recent methods developped to analyze drugs in sludge, sediments, soils and biota. Extraction methods include solid–liquid extraction, sonication, microwave, and quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe extraction (QuEChERS). We compare and discuss advantages and disadvantages of each analytical step for various sample types.

The occurrence of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in the environment is a global concern due to their potential ecological risks. Several studies have shown that some OMPs are widely detected in environmental matrices such as surface water and sewage. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have received international attention over past decades because they are considered the greatest source of aquatic environmental contamination by anthropogenic micropollutants. Intensive sampling and analysis have been globally made to improve understanding of the occurrence, behavior and fate of OMPs in WWTPs using different types of analytical approach. Recently, special awareness has been devoted to developing new effective strategies to extract the micropollutants of wastewater. In particular, microextraction protocols have gained popularity because of their simplicity, low cost and in-field application for environmental analysis. Among these, fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) is reported as an excellent approach due to its properties, not only reducing the required time but also employing minor solvent volume. In this overview, we summarize the results obtained by the Research Group of Environmental Chemical Analysis of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) using this technique. Its aim is to show the potential of FPSE for the extraction of some micropollutants, such as personal care products (benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs)) and pharmaceuticals (steroid hormones and cytostatic compounds) in different liquid samples, prior to their determination by liquid chromatography.

Nowadays, activities associated with industries, cities, and leisure generate a number of different wastes, including many chemical pollutants that enter the environment and negatively affect the wildlife. Some of them are emerging organic contaminants (EOCs), which include UV filters and stabilizers, antineoplastic agents, and natural and synthetic steroid hormones, among others. It is well demonstrated that the presence of this kind of contaminants may produce adverse effects in aquatic environments and also in marine organisms. Even though the Canary Islands (Spain) are one of the most biodiverse parts of the temperature regions of the world, little is known about the presence of these substances in the environment and organisms in the archipelago. For that purpose, the objective of this work was to evaluate the presence of some UV filters, cytostatic compounds, and hormones in water (wastewater and seawater), sediments, and marine organisms. Moreover, we evaluated conventional and natural wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to study the removal efficiencies of these target compounds. UV filters and stabilizers were found in all the analysed samples and were the only target family found in seawater (with UV-329 appearing at all the locations at concentrations between 67.5 and 859 ng L⁻¹). Some cytostatic compounds were detected in hospital wastewater at concentrations between 375.8 and 1851 ng L⁻¹, but not in the analysis of sludge or fish samples. Hormones were detected in wastewater, sludge, and fish samples, and their removal in the natural treatment system (over 76% for all the hormones) allowed to prove it as an efficient technology for the elimination of these EOCs from urban wastewaters in small communities.