Inter-laboratory exercise on antibiotic drugs analysis in aqueous samples

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Antibiotic contamination in water poses a significant public health risk.
• Standardized analytical methods are crucial for accurate monitoring of pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments.
• The PHARMAS EU project aimed to address the need for reliable antibiotic detection in water.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of diverse analytical methods for antibiotic quantification in surface and tap water.
• To assess the variability of results obtained from multiple laboratories across different countries.
• To determine the success rate of participating laboratories in an inter-laboratory testing exercise.

Main Methods:

• An inter-laboratory exercise involving thirteen laboratories from five European countries and Canada.
• Distribution of spiked tap and river water samples for antibiotic analysis over one month.
• Statistical analysis of 611 results, including calculation of mean, standard deviation, median, and outlier detection.

Main Results:

• Seventy-seven out of seventy-eight (98.7%) testing samples were analyzed, yielding 305 values in duplicate.
• Outlier results constituted 6% of the accounted values and were excluded from further analysis.
• Evaluation of sample stability showed no representative variations, indicating consistent sample integrity throughout the exercise.

Conclusions:

• The inter-laboratory exercise successfully assessed result variability and the influence of different water matrices on antibiotic analysis.
• Participating laboratories demonstrated a high rate of successful test completion, validating the developed methodologies.
• This study provides valuable insights into the performance of analytical methods for environmental antibiotic monitoring in Europe.