Research Document 2021/069

Chemical extraction techniques for the determination of drugs, pesticides and antibiotics used by the aquaculture industry

By Wong, D., Egli, S., Beattie, M., Page, F. and Hamoutene, D.

Abstract

The finfish aquaculture industry utilises a wide spectrum of chemotherapeutants ranging from anti-sea lice treatments to antibiotics in the production of their marketed products. The impact of these compounds to non-target organisms coupled to their potential for environmental persistence is of major concern and the minimisation of their usage is the target for a regulatory regime under development by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Accurate quantification of contaminant levels is essential to determine if Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) have been exceeded. Typically, sea lice treatments and antibiotics used in aquaculture have been adopted from terrestrial farming practices. This is reflected in the number of analytical methods available for the analysis of their active ingredients (a.i.) in soil and freshwater media compared to the marine environment. Traditional extraction methods either use large volumes of solvents harmful to human health and the environment, are labour intensive and time consuming, or are expensive due to instrument costs. Recently, a new technique has been developed called QuEChERS, an acronym for quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe which is gaining popularity for multi-class and multi-residue extractions from a variety of matrices due to its simplistic methodology. No matter what analytical method is developed or selected for routine analysis of samples, it should undergo a validation procedure to demonstrate its robustness and suitability for the intended purpose. For regulatory decision-making and enforcement where analytical results could be presented in court as part of a prosecution case it is critical that the analytical method is also accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 which would give confidence that procedures employed by the analytical laboratory adhered to a set of strict regulatory guidelines. If the analytical method is to be used solely for the purpose of monitoring, validation is still considered essential but accreditation is not.

Research Document 2021/069 (PDF, 1,308 KB)

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