A robust method to quantify pharmaceuticals for the United Nations endorsed Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme

Qiong Luo; Chong Chen; Racliffe Weng Seng Lai; Shaopeng Xu; Demilade Tunrayo Adedipe; Guang-Jie  Zhou; Alistair B.A.  Boxall; Bryan W.  Brooks; Kenneth Mei Yee  Leung

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117860

A robust method to quantify pharmaceuticals for the United Nations endorsed Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme

Qiong Luo, Chong Chen^*, Racliffe Weng Seng Lai, Shaopeng Xu, Demilade Tunrayo Adedipe, Guang-Jie Zhou, Alistair B.A. Boxall , Bryan W. Brooks , Kenneth Mei Yee Leung^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Following human and animal consumption, pharmaceuticals often remain incompletely metabolized, entering aquatic ecosystems via sources like wastewater discharges, landfill leachates, and aquaculture farms, thereby eventually reaching the ocean through estuaries. This influx poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021−2030), aims to establish a standardized method for monitoring pharmaceuticals in the world's estuaries. This study was performed for simultaneously quantifying 65 pharmaceuticals in small-volume of water samples. The findings revealed that using 20 mL water yielded optimal recoveries between 60 % and 130 %. The influence of pH, salinity and sample matrix on the performance of the method was minimal. 45–50 pharmaceuticals remained stable over a seven-day storage period at both 4 °C and 25 °C. This cost-effective and user-friendly method paves the way for the GEM Programme to monitor pharmaceuticals in over 100 estuaries worldwide. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

Original language	English
Article number	117860
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	215
Online published	22 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117860
Publication status	Published - Jun 2025

Funding

This work is supported by City University of Hong Kong (Project No. 9380128) and the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (Project No. 9448002) which receives regular funding from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Chong Chen is supported by the Hong Kong Scholars Program.

Research Keywords

Standard method
Pharmaceuticals
Solid phase extraction
Environmental interferences
Storage effect

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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abstract = "Following human and animal consumption, pharmaceuticals often remain incompletely metabolized, entering aquatic ecosystems via sources like wastewater discharges, landfill leachates, and aquaculture farms, thereby eventually reaching the ocean through estuaries. This influx poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021−2030), aims to establish a standardized method for monitoring pharmaceuticals in the world's estuaries. This study was performed for simultaneously quantifying 65 pharmaceuticals in small-volume of water samples. The findings revealed that using 20 mL water yielded optimal recoveries between 60 % and 130 %. The influence of pH, salinity and sample matrix on the performance of the method was minimal. 45–50 pharmaceuticals remained stable over a seven-day storage period at both 4 °C and 25 °C. This cost-effective and user-friendly method paves the way for the GEM Programme to monitor pharmaceuticals in over 100 estuaries worldwide. {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd.",

keywords = "Standard method, Pharmaceuticals, Solid phase extraction, Environmental interferences, Storage effect",

author = "Qiong Luo and Chong Chen and Lai, {Racliffe Weng Seng} and Shaopeng Xu and Adedipe, {Demilade Tunrayo} and Guang-Jie Zhou and Boxall, {Alistair B.A.} and Brooks, {Bryan W.} and Leung, {Kenneth Mei Yee}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117860",

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AU - Luo, Qiong

AU - Chen, Chong

AU - Lai, Racliffe Weng Seng

AU - Xu, Shaopeng

AU - Adedipe, Demilade Tunrayo

AU - Zhou, Guang-Jie

AU - Boxall , Alistair B.A.

AU - Brooks , Bryan W.

AU - Leung, Kenneth Mei Yee

PY - 2025/6

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N2 - Following human and animal consumption, pharmaceuticals often remain incompletely metabolized, entering aquatic ecosystems via sources like wastewater discharges, landfill leachates, and aquaculture farms, thereby eventually reaching the ocean through estuaries. This influx poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021−2030), aims to establish a standardized method for monitoring pharmaceuticals in the world's estuaries. This study was performed for simultaneously quantifying 65 pharmaceuticals in small-volume of water samples. The findings revealed that using 20 mL water yielded optimal recoveries between 60 % and 130 %. The influence of pH, salinity and sample matrix on the performance of the method was minimal. 45–50 pharmaceuticals remained stable over a seven-day storage period at both 4 °C and 25 °C. This cost-effective and user-friendly method paves the way for the GEM Programme to monitor pharmaceuticals in over 100 estuaries worldwide. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

AB - Following human and animal consumption, pharmaceuticals often remain incompletely metabolized, entering aquatic ecosystems via sources like wastewater discharges, landfill leachates, and aquaculture farms, thereby eventually reaching the ocean through estuaries. This influx poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021−2030), aims to establish a standardized method for monitoring pharmaceuticals in the world's estuaries. This study was performed for simultaneously quantifying 65 pharmaceuticals in small-volume of water samples. The findings revealed that using 20 mL water yielded optimal recoveries between 60 % and 130 %. The influence of pH, salinity and sample matrix on the performance of the method was minimal. 45–50 pharmaceuticals remained stable over a seven-day storage period at both 4 °C and 25 °C. This cost-effective and user-friendly method paves the way for the GEM Programme to monitor pharmaceuticals in over 100 estuaries worldwide. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

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KW - Pharmaceuticals

KW - Solid phase extraction

KW - Environmental interferences

KW - Storage effect

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DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117860

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JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

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A robust method to quantify pharmaceuticals for the United Nations endorsed Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

UN SDGs

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