Determination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 virustatic pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment using high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry

• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04811-7
• Publication Date: 2023-07-13T07:02:36Z
• Authors: Indra Bartels; Martin Jaeger; Torsten C. Schmidt
• Keywords: Solid phase extraction

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global population since 2019. rapid development and approval of vaccines brought relief. Yet, effective cures are still being researched. Even if situation may end, SARS-CoV-2 will remain and, thus, continued application drugs lead to emissions active ingredients into aquatic environment, as with other anthropogenic micropollutants. However, a general method for trace analysis antiviral is missing. To this purpose, favipiravir, remdesivir, its metabolite GS-441524, molnupiravir EIDD-1931 were selected representative analytes. A was developed based on solid phase extraction high-performance liquid chromatography combined electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry. Optimization comprised choice chromatographic columns, elution gradient, spectrometry tandem parameters. Solid proved suitable increase in limits detection quantitation. amelioration Matrix effects investigated applying optimized wastewater sample added virustatics. All five compounds could be separated reversed chromatography, whereas profited from hydrophilic interaction chromatography. yielded quantification 2.1·10 -1 , 6.9·10 µg·L 1.8·10 -3 5.5·10 1.9·10 7.6·10 2.9·10 8.7·10 molnupiravir, 1.3·10 3.8·10 EIDD 1931. first applied compound stability testing at pH 2.8 9.7. At 2.8, GS-441524 stable, about 14% favipiravir degraded. almost completely decomposed further demonstrated potential transformation product ozonation monitoring. Graphical abstract