Simultaneous determination of naproxen, ibuprofen and diclofenac in wastewater using solid-phase extraction with high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

The presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment is a growing concern to analytical chemists and the general public. Pharmaceutical compounds such as naproxen, ibuprofen and diclofenac are useful compounds that belong to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These organic compounds are polar and acidic. Both naproxen and diclofenac have a pKa value of 4.2, whereas that of ibuprofen is 4.9 (Table 1) (Dahane et al., 2013). NSAIDs are widely used by humans for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (Mahkam and Poorgholy, 2011). Once consumed, they are subjected to human metabolism, followed by excretion in urine and faeces as metabolites and as unaltered parent compounds, which can be subjected to further transformations in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (Parrilla Vazquez et al., 2013). Overdose or chronic abuse of NSAIDs can lead to toxic side-effects (Lagha et al., 2011).

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