Preconcentration and post-column fluorescent derivatization for the environmental water monitoring of an antihelmintic macrocyclic drug used in livestock

In this paper, a green analytical methodology based on fluorescence derivatization is proposed for the anti-helminthic drug monitoring ivermectin as environmental emergent contaminant. After sample clean-up, ivermectin was converted into a highly fluorescent derivative through a catalytic oxidation process followed by dehydration and tautomerization. Under optimal experimental conditions, a linear response was obtained for ivermectin within the range 0.38–600 μg L(−1), with detection and quantification limits of 0.11 and 0.38 μg L(−1), both values are lower than other previously reported. This method has been applied for ivermectin determination in environmental water samples at trace levels, showing its potential for contamination monitoring.