Is it the appropriate syringe filter? The loss of PPCPs during filtration by syringe filter

Abstract

Syringe filters are used to separate solids from liquids before chromatography analysis for the removal of particulate matter to avoid column blockage. The inappropriate selection of syringe filters may lead to the interception of micropollutants in samples (especially aqueous phase samples) and inaccurate quantification. In this study, mass losses of typical micropollutants - pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) - by syringe filters were evaluated considering the material of syringe filters, the pore size of syringe filters, solvents, and pre-rinsing. The lowest mass losses of 57 PPCPs were observed by hydrophobic- polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (median value was 10%), but for quinolone (7-37%) and macrolide antibiotics (9-52%), the mass losses were still considerable. By changing the pore sizes of filters, the interception of quinolone and macrolide antibiotics by hydrophobic-PTFE was not improved. In contrast, by increasing the proportion of methanol in the solvent and discarding the first 1 mL pre-rinsing samples, the mass losses of quinolone and macrolide antibiotics by hydrophobic-PTFE can be considerably decreased. This study provides guidance for selecting appropriate filters for micropollutants before chromatography analysis of samples to guarantee the accuracy of the results.

Keywords

Syringe filter / pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) / mass loss / filtration

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