with deactivated surface to ensure the recovery of pesticides with benzene
ring [138].
Oasis PRiME HLB (acronym for Process, Robustness, Improvements, Matrix
effects, Ease of use) is the next-generation SPE device. It is a simpler, faster, and
cleaner SPE cartridge. It is simple because it does not require any conditioning and
equilibration steps; also no SPE expertise is required. Equally important, it can be
employed by reversed phase “catch-and-release” SPE or “pass-through” SPE. The
three-step catch-and-release protocol consists of loading of the pretreated sample,
washing the cartridge, and finally eluting the caught analytes with the proper solvent
suitable for target analytes, whereas in the two-step pass-through protocol, the
sample is loaded and collected at same time, because in this case matrix interferences
are retained while analytes are passing through. It is faster because it provides faster
flows with less plugging. Finally, it provides cleaner extracts since it removes more
than 95% of common matrix interferences, such as salts, proteins, and phospholipids, with the generic three-step protocol (load, wash, elute) and at least 90% more
phospholipids than the generic protocol with Oasis HLB. It is effectively used for
pesticide analysis in spices and fruits [176, 177].
Finally, EMR-Lipid sorbent is introduced by Agilent Technologies in 2015 for
the removal of phospholipids and proteins [178]. Water should be added to the
extract before EMR-Lipid clean-up, adding an additional step to the method. However, it does not function as solid d-SPE; conversely, it dissolves to saturation in the
extracts; and the extraction mechanism is based on size exclusion and hydrophobic
interactions. It was effectively used for the analysis of multiresidue pesticides and
environmental contaminants in kale, salmon, avocado, and pork [179].
7 Analysis of Pharmaceuticals in Earthworms
Invertebrates, living in crop fields, play an important role in terms of accumulation of
PhACs but also acting as soil purifiers [180]. Specifically, earthworms are recognized for their use as sentinel organisms belonging to the soil microfauna, in order to
evaluate soil contamination by organic contaminants. In addition, they are the main
soil-dwelling organism that has the ability to absorb pharmaceutical products from
soils since earthworms represent the vast majority of the biomass of total soil life
[180, 181].
Numerous studies have shown their ability to absorb pharmaceutical products
from soil [182, 183] through consumption or direct contact with the soil, as well as
other contaminants such as heavy metals [184, 185] and polychlorinated benzene
[186]. Furthermore, unlike plants, earthworms move constantly in the soil favoring
contact with large quantities of PhAC that remain in the soil [187].
Therefore, the analysis of worms could assess the global contamination of
pollutants in a cultivated field, thanks to its bioaccumulation capacity. On the
other hand, terrestrial worms are soil invertebrates widely used for the assessment
of the ecotoxicological risk of soil contamination by pharmaceutical products [188]
470
R. Manasfi et al.
ring [138].
Oasis PRiME HLB (acronym for Process, Robustness, Improvements, Matrix
effects, Ease of use) is the next-generation SPE device. It is a simpler, faster, and
cleaner SPE cartridge. It is simple because it does not require any conditioning and
equilibration steps; also no SPE expertise is required. Equally important, it can be
employed by reversed phase “catch-and-release” SPE or “pass-through” SPE. The
three-step catch-and-release protocol consists of loading of the pretreated sample,
washing the cartridge, and finally eluting the caught analytes with the proper solvent
suitable for target analytes, whereas in the two-step pass-through protocol, the
sample is loaded and collected at same time, because in this case matrix interferences
are retained while analytes are passing through. It is faster because it provides faster
flows with less plugging. Finally, it provides cleaner extracts since it removes more
than 95% of common matrix interferences, such as salts, proteins, and phospholipids, with the generic three-step protocol (load, wash, elute) and at least 90% more
phospholipids than the generic protocol with Oasis HLB. It is effectively used for
pesticide analysis in spices and fruits [176, 177].
Finally, EMR-Lipid sorbent is introduced by Agilent Technologies in 2015 for
the removal of phospholipids and proteins [178]. Water should be added to the
extract before EMR-Lipid clean-up, adding an additional step to the method. However, it does not function as solid d-SPE; conversely, it dissolves to saturation in the
extracts; and the extraction mechanism is based on size exclusion and hydrophobic
interactions. It was effectively used for the analysis of multiresidue pesticides and
environmental contaminants in kale, salmon, avocado, and pork [179].
7 Analysis of Pharmaceuticals in Earthworms
Invertebrates, living in crop fields, play an important role in terms of accumulation of
PhACs but also acting as soil purifiers [180]. Specifically, earthworms are recognized for their use as sentinel organisms belonging to the soil microfauna, in order to
evaluate soil contamination by organic contaminants. In addition, they are the main
soil-dwelling organism that has the ability to absorb pharmaceutical products from
soils since earthworms represent the vast majority of the biomass of total soil life
[180, 181].
Numerous studies have shown their ability to absorb pharmaceutical products
from soil [182, 183] through consumption or direct contact with the soil, as well as
other contaminants such as heavy metals [184, 185] and polychlorinated benzene
[186]. Furthermore, unlike plants, earthworms move constantly in the soil favoring
contact with large quantities of PhAC that remain in the soil [187].
Therefore, the analysis of worms could assess the global contamination of
pollutants in a cultivated field, thanks to its bioaccumulation capacity. On the
other hand, terrestrial worms are soil invertebrates widely used for the assessment
of the ecotoxicological risk of soil contamination by pharmaceutical products [188]
470
R. Manasfi et al.