Detection of 13 emerging soil pollutant compounds using a dual extraction method (QuEChERS and solid phase extraction) and a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry LC-MS/MS method.

ABSTRACT

Emerging pollutants derived from human and animal sources, are present in soils and pose significant environmental and health impacts, even at low concentrations. Their detection in soil is analytically complex due to soil interference and the rapid degradation of compounds in the matrix. In this study, a protocol was optimized for quantifying hormonal steroids (n = 7), human drugs (n = 3), and antibiotics (n = 3) by a dual-phase extraction using QuEChERS and Solid Phase Extraction (SPE), followed by analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The double extraction phase allows an accurate and effective purification of the target compounds while eliminating the interference in the soil matrix. The method is optimized to detect environmental concentrations of these pollutants, to suit large-scale sampling campaigns and to maintain the efficiency of extraction while reducing analysis time. The limits of detection (LODs) of these compounds ranged between 0.0043 and 0.13 ng/g and recovery rates between 75.9 % and 105.39 %.•Enhanced Analyte Purification Implements QuEChERS and SPE for robust removal of matrix interferences, optimizing target compound isolation.•Precision at Trace Levels Secures LODs as minimal as 0.0043 ng/g, enabling accurate detection of low-concentration contaminants.•Adapted for Broad-scale sampling Modifies extraction and analysis durations to accommodate large-scale environmental assessments.