The use of RP-HPLC–Q-TOF–MS as a powerful tool for wastewater composition profiling and selection of water pollution marker specific to wastewater contamination

ABSTRACT: Limited drinking water resources and water pollution are one of the main worldwide problems. To reduce the consumption of fresh water resources, the use of treated wastewater has been proposed. The farmlands have been irrigated with wastewater for centuries, but the composition of used sewage has changed over the years. Recent research has revealed the presence of hundreds of new organic contaminants in many environmental waters, including wastewaters and their receivers. For this reason, wastewater profiling and monitoring are of high importance and urgent need. In this study, the HPLC–Q-TOF–MS has been used for the profiling of wastewater composition and evaluation of the water pollution markers belonging to emerging contaminants. Three different solid-phase extraction approaches were applied to obtain the best results. Compounds such as acesulfame-K, caffeine, carbamazepine, cyclamate, ibuprofen, methyl paraben, paracetamol, or saccharin were detected in raw wastewater samples, whereas only acesulfame-K, carbamazepine, and sucralose were found in effluent samples. It seems that these particular compounds might be chosen as water pollution marker specific to Polish communal sewages. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text]