Occurrences of UV filters, endocrine disruptive chemicals, alkyl phenolic compounds, fragrances, and hormones in the wastewater and coastal waters of the Antarctica.

We present a simplified status description of the prevalence and occurrences of organic micropollutants including endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs), therapeutic drugs, hormones, fragrances and ultraviolet (UV) filters in the wastewaters and the adjacent coastal oceans in the Northern and Southern Antarctica. Different treatment technologies adopted in the research stations and their efficacy in removing pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are reviewed. Till date, 56 PPCPs are reported in the wastewaters of Antarctic research stations, and 23 in the adjacent coastal waters and sea ice. The reported concentrations in the wastewaters are at the levels of µg L-1 for UV filters, plasticizer Bisphenol A, metabolites, antibiotics, alkyl phenolic compounds, and stimulants. Concentrations in the coastal waters and sea ice are two orders of magnitude lower than the wastewaters because of dilution and degradation. It is apparent however, that the PPCP-laden effluents discharged from the research stations contaminate them. If left unchecked, pollution of the coastal waters and sea-ice can lead to toxic levels. Through this review, we have established widespread occurrence of PPCPs in the polar coastal oceans; this study will also provide the status quo for the researchers and policymakers to seriously consider the issue and initiate remedial action in the near future. The existing substantial gaps in understanding of the impact of PPCPs on the flora and fauna of Antarctica, and the ineffectiveness of the current treatment technologies adopted by the research stations are highly evident. Future-oriented polar research should focus on protecting the pristine ecosystem by utilizing climate-sensitive, cost-effective treatment technologies.

Evaluation of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water matrix using ion trap mass spectrometry: A simple weighted calibration curve approach.

A novel analytical method is presented for 12 target pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), belonging to different classes like antibiotics, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, parabens, UV-filters, plasticizer, and antibacterials. The method development comprises of solid-phase extraction (SPE) with lipophilic-hydrophilic material balanced Oasis HLB cartridge, followed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography interfaced to linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization. Chromatographic separation was achieved with a gradient elution of 25 min run time using 5 mM ammonium acetate buffer with pH adjustment using acetic acid. In addition, cost effective organic solvent with buffer used together as the mobile phase with Chromatopak C18 column (150 mm × 4 mm, 5-µm,) in negative ionization mode. Recoveries ranged from 61.74 % to 119.89 % for most of the compounds. Matrix-matched calibration curves were used for counterbalancing the matrix effects for all the analytes, and ibuprofen D3 internal standard was used for assessing the effectiveness of extraction technique and monitoring the recovery of sample analysis. Simple empirical weighted linear regression curve technique was adopted practically for each analysis in enhancing the analyte accuracy at lower quantification level. The 1/x2 model was selected as the best suitable model for quantification of analytes, which can be evaluated by deviation from back-calculated concentration in terms of percentage relative error (%RE). Weighted calibration curves with regression value for most of the compounds were ≥ 0.98, except triclosan with a regression value ≥ 0.93. Precision showed as % relative standard deviation (%RSD) were always below 15.0 %. Accuracy-test was evaluated by the statistical one-sample t-test and no significant difference was observed between nominal and experimental value. The limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 3.0 ng/mL (BP1) to 1000 ng/mL (naproxen). Finally, the validated method was used for the first time to determine target analytes in surface water samples collected from Arkavathi river flowing across southern India's Bengaluru city.