SCIEX is no stranger to drinking water analysis, and the Environmental Compendium once again addresses the topic in an application note which covers LC-MS/MS with Fast Polarity Switching.   Using the QTRAP® 5500, researchers were able to detect a large panel of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP’s) while performing fast positive/negative switching all from a single injection.  Method details go the distance in this application note, as five experiments were called into action for comparison.Download Environmental Compendium >

Why Test for PPCP’s in Drinking water?
Not all wastewater treatment processes are created equal and can leave behind trace amounts of influent PPCP’s. While the amounts are considered minimal, they have been known to cause disruption to aquatic life, thus the reason for ultra-low analysis in the lab. Numbers vary, but thousands of PPCP’s are known to be in existence and depending on the substance, some have shorter shelf lives than others. Insulin, for example, can expire as soon as 30 days after a bottle is open and if flushed, can enter freshwater if removal isn’t effective at the treatment plant. We may not be able to live without our pharmaceuticals and personal care products, but in the Environmental Compendium, researchers report how you can better test fresh water samples for PPCP’s in the parts per trillion range.

Want to learn more about PPCP analysis? The Environmental Compendium has pages of application notes dedicated to the topic, and we want to share them with you!

Want to learn how to dispose of PPCP’s properly? Check with your local resources. Many communities have days where you can drop off the used medicine.