Fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the determination of diclofenac in wastewater

Pharmacologically active compounds are often detected in wastewater and surface waters. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (DCF) was included in the European watch list of substances that requires its environmental monitoring in the member states. DCF may harmfully influence the ecosystem already at concentrations ≤ 1 μg L(−1). The fast and easy quantification of DCF is becoming a subject of global importance. Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is a homogeneous mix-and-read method which does not require the immobilization of reagents. FPIA can be performed in one phase within 20–30 min, making it possible to analyse wastewater without any complicated pre-treatment. In this study, new tracer molecules with different structures, linking fluorophores to derivatives of the analyte, were synthesized, three homologous tracers based on DCF, two including a C(6) spacer, and one heterologous tracer derived from 5-hydroxy-DCF. The tracer molecules were thoroughly assessed for performance. Regarding sensitivity of the FPIA, the lowest limit of detection reached was 2.0 μg L(−1) with a working range up to 870 μg L(−1). The method was validated for real wastewater samples against LC-MS/MS as reference method with good agreement of both methods. [Figure: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-020-03058-w.