Sensitive method for the simultaneous detection of ten azole contaminants in water samples by SPE-LC-MS/MS

A new analytical method was developed for the determination of azole contaminants from environmental samples (surface water, drinking water, wastewater) by solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantification. The separation of the compounds was achieved using a Zorbax Eclipse XDB C18 chromatographic column (2.1 x 100 mm, 3.5 μm). The quantification limits varied in the range of 3.6 ng/L (ipconazole) to 8.4 ng/L (climbazole), for wastewater samples, 1.44 ng/L ÷ 3.36 ng/L for surface water samples, and 0.72 ng/L and 1.68 ng /L in drinking water, respectively. The values of the recovery percentage and the precision data obtained after applying the extraction procedure for all compounds indicated values in accordance with LC methods.