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Assessment of sample preservation techniques for pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and steroids in surface and drinking water

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Abstract

Proper collection and preservation techniques are necessary to ensure sample integrity and maintain the stability of analytes until analysis. Data from improperly collected and preserved samples could lead to faulty conclusions and misinterpretation of the occurrence and fate of the compounds being studied. Because contaminants of emerging concern, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and steroids, generally occur in surface and drinking water at ng/L levels, these compounds in particular require such protocols to accurately assess their concentrations. In this study, sample bottle types, residual oxidant quenching agents, preservation agents, and hold times were assessed for 21 PPCPs and steroids in surface water and finished drinking water. Amber glass bottles were found to have the least effect on target analyte concentrations, while high-density polyethylene bottles had the most impact. Ascorbic acid, sodium thiosulfate, and sodium sulfite were determined to be acceptable quenching agents and preservation with sodium azide at 4 °C led to the stability of the most target compounds. A combination of amber glass bottles, ascorbic acid, and sodium azide preserved analyte concentrations for 28 days in the tested matrices when held at 4 °C. Samples without a preservation agent were determined to be stable for all but two of the analytes when stored in amber glass bottles at 4 °C for 72 h. Results suggest that if improper protocols are utilized, reported concentrations of target PPCPs and steroids may be inaccurate.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by the Water Research Foundation (Project #4167), a joint owner of certain technical information upon which this publication was based. The comments and views detailed herein may not necessarily reflect the views of the Water Research Foundation, its officers, directors, affiliates, or agents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193-9954, USA

    Brett J. Vanderford, Douglas B. Mawhinney, Rebecca A. Trenholm & Janie C. Zeigler-Holady

  2. University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Shane A. Snyder

Authors
  1. Brett J. Vanderford
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  2. Douglas B. Mawhinney
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  3. Rebecca A. Trenholm
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  4. Janie C. Zeigler-Holady
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  5. Shane A. Snyder
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Correspondence to Brett J. Vanderford.

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Vanderford, B.J., Mawhinney, D.B., Trenholm, R.A. et al. Assessment of sample preservation techniques for pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and steroids in surface and drinking water. Anal Bioanal Chem 399, 2227–2234 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-4608-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-4608-5

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