Measurement of associations of pharmaceuticals with dissolved humic substances using solid phase extraction

An innovative method was developed to determine association of carbadox, lincomycin and tetracycline with dissolved humic acids using solid phase extraction (SPE). Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and DOM-bound pharmaceuticals passed through the SPE cartridge while the cartridge retained freely dissolved pharmaceuticals from water. This method was validated by comparison with the results measured using the common equilibrium dialysis technique. For the SPE method pharmaceutical interaction with DOM required ∼30 h to approach the equilibration, whereas 50–120 h was needed for the equilibrium dialysis technique. The uneven distributions of freely membrane-penetrating pharmaceuticals and protons inside vs. outside of the dialysis cell due to the Donnan effect resulted in overestimates of pharmaceutical affinity with DOM for the equilibrium dialysis method. The SPE technique eliminates the Donnan effect, and demonstrates itself as a more efficient, less laborious and more accurate method. The measured binding coefficients with DOM followed the order of carbadox < lincomycin < tetracycline. Pharmaceutical bindings with Leonardite humic acid were greater than those with Aldrich humic acid due to more interaction sites, i.e. carboxylic and phenolic functional moieties, present in the Leonardite humic acid. The results obtained suggest that many pharmaceuticals could be significantly bound to DOM, which alters their fate and mobility in the environment.

► An innovative SPE method was developed to measure pharmaceutical-DOM association.
► The SPE method is more efficient, less laborious and more accurate.
► Pharmaceuticals studied showed a strong affinity with dissolved humic acids.
► Pharmaceuticals bound to DOM could alter their environmental fate.