Fast ultrahigh performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of 25 emerging contaminants in surface water and wastewater samples using superficially porous sub-3 μm particles as an alternative to fully porous sub-2 μm p

The development of fused-core silica stationary phases was considered a breakthrough in column manufacturing. In this study, a fast LC–UV method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 25 emerging contaminants in surface water and wastewater. The selected analytes belonged to various classes such as veterinary antibiotics, central nervous system stimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids and preservatives. The chromatographic separation was optimized in order to achieve suitable retention times and good resolution for all analytes in a single run using solvent gradient and flow rate gradient. All analytes eluted within 10 min on a Kinetex® C18 column packed with fused core particles. Sample preparation was executed with solid-phase extraction on Oasis HLB cartridges. The method was validated by assessing linearity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, limits of detection and limits of quantification. Good recoveries were obtained for all analytes ranging from 67.5% to 97.0% with standard deviations not higher than 5.7%, except for acetaminophen, sulphanilamide and acetyl salicylic acid, for which lower recoveries were obtained. The detection limits ranged from 1.5 to 15 μg L−1, while limits of quantification were in the range from 5 to 50 μg L−1. The short analysis time achieved by this method allowed analysis of a large number of samples in a short time, minimizing organic solvent consumption and lowering LC solvents cost. This fast method offers benefits both environmentally and economically.