Orphenadrine Hydrochloride

Despite the substantial amount of research on the presence of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs (PhIDs) in freshwater environments, there is a paucity of data on these contaminants in estuarine systems, particularly in South America. Industries, the biggest port in the Southern Hemisphere, and substantial urban areas surround the Santos-São Vicente Estuarine System (SSVES), located in a Brazilian subtropical area. This study constitutes the first assessment of contamination by PhIDs in this estuarine area. Samples of superficial water, sediments, and oysters were analyzed through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Furthermore, the potential ecological risk to aquatic non-target organisms (i.e., primary producers, primary and secondary consumers) was assessed using the maximum measured environmental concentrations (MEC) of the PhIDs identified in this study. The results revealed the widespread presence of caffeine (MEC = 72.1 ng·L^-1) > losartan (29.6 ng·L^-1) > orphenadrine (25.9 ng·L^-1) > benzoylecgonine (18.6 ng/L-1) > carbamazepine (7.4 ng·L^-1) and cocaine (3.6 ng·L^-1). These findings were obtained from relevant sites at SSVES, near areas with mangroves and anthropogenic activities, such as fishing and swimming. Consequently, the ecological risk assessment indicated significant environmental concern, as our results suggested low to moderate risks of all compounds to algae, crustaceans, and/or fish. Considering the One Health approach, further studies are recommended to investigate the potential human health risks associated with consuming contaminated seafood. Concomitantly, there is an urgent need for improvements in public sanitation, public health care for illicit drug users, and public safety actions against traffic.

We developed a method for comprehensive urine drug screening by applying dilute‐and‐shoot extraction and vacuum‐insulated probe‐heated electrospray ionization with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography high‐resolution quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (DS‐UHPLC‐VIP‐HESI‐QTOFMS). The method involved five‐fold post‐hydrolysis dilution of urine samples and chromatography on a C18 UHPLC column prior to QTOFMS analysis. The recently introduced VIP‐HESI ion source was chosen due to its enhanced ionization efficiency and compatibility with UHPLC‐QTOFMS. Extensive data was acquired in positive ion mode with a low collision energy (7 eV) and an elevated collision energy (30 eV), using the broadband collision‐induced dissociation data acquisition scan mode that continuously generated high‐resolution and accurate mass for parent and fragment qualifier ions, and parent ion isotopic patterns. Compound identification was performed against an in‐house database with 1263 compound entries, using an automated post‐run reverse target database search with preset identification criteria. Method validation with 56 different drugs showed acceptable results for the limit of identification (median 5 ng/mL), matrix effects (70–130%), repeatability of retention times (< 1%), mass accuracy (< 1 mDa), as well as for specificity and stability. As compared with an established UHPLC‐QTOFMS method relying on solid‐phase extraction and conventional electrospray ionization, DS‐UHPLC‐VIP‐HESI‐QTOFMS produced comparable results from authentic clinical urine samples for most drugs, but showed clearly improved detectability for pregabalin, gabapentin, and ritalinic acid. We anticipate that the new method will be a step forward for laboratories performing routine urine drug screening due to its fast turnaround time, reduced manual workload, cost efficiency, and broad substance coverage.