Simultaneous determination of multiresidues of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in surface water samples in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: a comparative study

The UHPLC-MS/MS analytical method was used to assess the occurrence of 52 pharmaceutical substances in surface water samples from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Of the 29 surface water samples analyzed, 28 contained at least one quantifiable analyte. This study represents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in surface waters of these neighbouring countries and reveals remarkable regional differences in the level of contamination and the occurrence of compounds, which depend mainly on population density, altitude and flow. Median concentrations of key analytes included 126.35 ng dm ^− 3 for caffeine, 50.81 ng dm ^− 3 for diclofenac, 134.22 ng dm ^− 3 for gabapentin, and 177.57 ng dm ^− 3 for iomeprol. The findings contribute to new knowledge on the transboundary environmental burden of pharmaceuticals and support efforts to assess and reduce potential environmental and health risks.