Pressurized liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to determine pharmaceuticals in mussels

An analytical method based on pressurized liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction with a mixed-mode Oasis (R) MAX sorbent as cleanup, followed by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the determination of seven widely used pharmaceuticals in mussel species. The optimization of the pressurized liquid extraction and the solid-phase extraction parameters is described. The method provided extraction recoveries ranging from 61 to 90%, and limits of detection ranging from 2 to 50 ng/g (dry weight). The repeatability and reproducibility of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, were lower than 15 and 19%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of mussel samples from different locations. The analyses showed that salicylic acid was present in mussels at concentrations up to 177 ng/g (dry weight).