Determination of Clofibric Acid and N-(Phenylsulfonyl)-Sarcosine in Sewage, River and Drinking Water

• Published in: International journal of environmental analytical chemistry Vol. 67; no. 1-4; pp. 113 - 124
• Main Authors: Heberer, Th, Stan, H.-J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.1997; Gordon and Breach Science
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Analytical chemistry; Applied sciences; artificial groundwater enrichment and bank filtration; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Clofibric acid; drinking-water contamination; Exact sciences and technology; Gas chromatographic methods; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; N-(phenylsulfonyl)-sarcosine; Natural water pollution; Pollution; Water treatment and pollution; Trace analysis; Drinking water; Solid phase extraction; Chemical analysis; Coupled method; Derivatization; Herbicide; Environmental control; Chemical enrichment; Gas chromatography; Multicomponent analysis; Clofibric acid; Water pollution; River water; Mass spectrometry; Ground water
• ISSN: 0306-7319; 1029-0397
• DOI: 10.1080/03067319708031398

Two polar compounds, the drug metabolite clofibric acid (2-(4)-chlorophenoxy-2-methyl propionic acid) and N-(phenylsulfonyl)-sarcosine, were detected as organic contaminants in groundwater samples from sewage farm areas near Berlin at maximum concentrations of 4 μg/l and 150 μg/l, respectively. Contaminations by these two compounds were also found in most of the drinking water samples collected from the 14 waterworks in the Berlin area. The maximum concentrations in drinking water samples were 270 ng/l for clofibric acid and 105 ng/l for N-(phenylsulfonyl)-sarcosine. The analytical results obtained correlate well with the percentage values of artificial groundwater enrichment and bank filtrate used by any particular water treatment plant in drinking water production. Thus, it can be assumed that both polar contaminants commonly leach into drinking water and are not eliminated by the drinking water treatment used by the Berlin waterworks. Positive findings in screening analyses of surface water samples outside Berlin as, for example, the river Danube in Germany and the river Po in Italy indicate that the occurrence of clofibric acid and N-(phenylsulfonyl)-sarcosine in environmental water samples is not just a local phenomenon.