Formation of an artifact of diclofenac during acidic extraction of environmental water samples

Solid-phase extraction at an acidic pH is used as a common sample preparation method for analyzing residues of the analgesic drug diclofenac (2-[(2,6-dichlorophenyl)amino] benzeneacetic acid) in environmental water samples. This paper describes the matrix-dependent formation of an artifact of diclofenac during sample preparation resulting in an up to 40% underestimation of diclofenac concentrations especially in matrix-prone samples such as sewage effluents or surface water. The artifact most likely being formed during acidification of the sample was unequivocally identified as 1-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)indolin-2-one by capillary gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. To avoid an underestimation of the analytical results quantification of both diclofenac and its artifact is recommended.