Analgesics belong to the most popular pharmaceutical chemicals. A comprehensive study conducted at the main landfill of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, indicated that phenazone analgesics, including propyphenazone (4-(1-methylethyl)-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-5-one), aminopyrine (4-(dimethylamino)-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-5-one) and antipyrine (2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-5-one) were among the most abundant contaminants. This paper focuses on the determination of propyphenazone, aminopyrine and antipyrine in landfill leachate and groundwater. All identifications were performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry operated in full scan mode, while quantitative determinations were carried out in single ion monitoring mode. The spatial distribution of analgesics in landfill leachate was rather heterogenous but the most abundant analgesic, propyphenazone, was detected in all analysed samples. Aminopyrine and propyphenazone were detected at significant concentrations in adjacent groundwater aquifer (1 to 50 mg/L), indicating an efficient vertical transport through the unsaturated zone.

Chemistry