Journal des techniques de chromatographie et de séparation
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Environmental Fate of Two Psychiatric Drugs, Diazepam and Sertraline: Phototransformation and Investigation of their Photoproducts in Natural Waters

Jakimska A, Sliwka Kaszynska M, Nagorski P, Kot Wasik A and Namiesnik J

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the photodegradation of diazepam and sertraline, two of the most frequently used psychiatric drugs, induced by xenon lamp irradiation, which overlap the sunlight spectra, and natural sunlight. Degradation kinetics was established indicating the occurrence of autocatalytic reactions. The application of liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry allowed for accurate mass measurements and proper fragmentation of target compounds enabling structure elucidation of various photoproducts of diazepam and sertraline formed during the forced photolysis. As a result, phototransformation pathways were proposed including the compounds and routes of degradation described here for the first time. In the final step, the presence of parent and identified compounds was examined in various environmental water samples. Although, the analytes were non-detected it was assumed that they may undergo different process in the environment such as adsorption, dilution, advection or rapid photodegradation of all compounds.