Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

The growing human impact on aquatic environments, due to the extensive use of pharmaceuticals and the release of persistent pollutants, makes it necessary to implement new widespread methods for the characterisation and quantification of such contaminants and relative degradation products. Carbamazepine, 5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide, (CBZ) is a widely used anti-epileptic drug, characterised by its limited removal by conventional wastewater treatments and high persistency in the environment. In this work, CBZ detection and quantification was performed in phosphate buffer as well as in samples of complex matrix like landfill leachates and treated wastewater originating from a medical facility, and simultaneously by optical and electrochemical methods using a novel transparent carbon-based nanostructured electrode. Coupling electrochemical (differential pulse voltammetry) with optical (UV-visible spectroscopy) methods, it has been possible to reach a limit of detection (LOD) for CBZ detection at the level of 4.7 μM for the electrochemical method, 10.3 μM for the spectroscopic method, and 3.6 μM for the opto-electrochemical method. Raman spectroscopy and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry techniques were employed to support and validate the combined technique. The novel developed technique showed high selectivity to carbamazepine and its by-products, even in environmental samples. Thus, this environmentally friendly, fast and accurate detection method is believed to be successfully implemented in the investigation of other pharmaceutical and chemical contaminates of concern.

Authors

• dr Mattia Pierpaoli link open in new tab ,
• dr inż. Anna Dettlaff link open in new tab ,
• dr inż. Małgorzata Szopińska link open in new tab ,
• dr inż. Katarzyna Karpienko link open in new tab ,
• dr inż. Maciej Wróbel link open in new tab ,
• prof. dr hab. inż. Aneta Łuczkiewicz link open in new tab ,
• dr hab. inż. Sylwia Fudala-Książek link open in new tab ,
• dr hab. inż. Robert Bogdanowicz link open in new tab