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A simple sample preparation method based on a modified liquid‐phase extraction approach to extract selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products from freshwater organisms is described. Extracted samples were analysed using liquid chromatography with Q‐Exactive plus hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry, using 2.6 μm C18 media. A 0.1% v/v acetic acid/acetonitrile mobile phase was applied over a 20 min gradient. Method detection limits in full scan mode were ca. 0.04–2.38 ng of analyte per g of sample. Linearity ranged from 0.9750 to 0.9996 over the calibration range of 0.01–100 μg/L; MS mass accuracy was <2 ppm for most analytes. This method was applied to quantify six pharmaceuticals and personal care products in seven invertebrate samples. For tandem mass spectrometry analysis, selection of precursor ions was performed for each pharmaceutical, with Mass Frontier software illustrating the fragmentation mechanism. Effects of collision energy on intensities of ions was further investigated. The tandem mass spectrometry condition resulting in the highest signal of respective selected product ion was selected to confirm each pharmaceutical, which was initially observed in the full scan mode. Results indicate that pharmaceuticals and personal care products found to be present in water‐ways, may be incorporated into organisms that live in the environment of affected water streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800507 The cover picture shows an environment potentially impacted by pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP), arising from e.g. drugs, cosmetics, and household and animal care products. Receiving waters may be from sewage treatment works, or agricultural or urban run‐off. PPCP may affect the ecosystem in ways that are still not fully recognised or quantified. The extent of the problem is firstly assessed by levels in the water, then levels in various ecosystem components biota, biofilm, particulates. Invertebrates that inhabit this environment, may bio‐magnify the PPCP. Here, we report some PPCP levels in various invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]