Analytical methods for tracing pharmaceutical residues in water and wastewater

The focus of environmental analysis and determination of chemicals in the environment has recently been extended from the more classical pollutants to new contaminant categories including pharmaceuticals. This is attributed mainly to the development of new analytical techniques including liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS2) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which enable the determination of such compounds down to the ng/l level. This article reviews the most recent developments and applications within water and wastewater environmental matrices.