Determination of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in aqueous samples using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 2003-05, Vol.998 (1), p.133-141
• Main Authors: Miao, Xiu-Sheng, Metcalfe, Chris D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analysis methods; Anticholesteremic Agents - analysis; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol reducers; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Exact sciences and technology; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Natural water pollution; Other wastewaters; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pollution; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sewage - chemistry; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization - methods; Statins; Wastewaters; Water - chemistry; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9673(03)00645-9

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are among the most frequently prescribed agents for reducing morbidity and mortality related to coronary heart disease. Four major statin drugs, atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin, were determined using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with methylammonium acetate as an additive in the mobile phase. Protonated atorvastatin, and methylammonium-adducted lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin were selected as precursor ions, and product ions were detected by selected reaction monitoring in positive-ion mode. The instrumental detection limits of atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin are 0.7, 0.7, 8.2 and 0.9 pg, respectively. A solid-phase extraction method was developed to enrich the analytes from aqueous samples. All of the statins were detected in an untreated sewage sample at 4–117 ng/l and in a treated sewage sample at 1–59 ng/l; but only atorvastatin was detected in a surface water sample at 1 ng/l.