Degradation Efficiency and Characterization of Lincomycin by Electron Beam Irradiation

Lincomycin is one of the major species among the Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) detected from the four major rivers in Korea. The structure characterization was performed of six degradation products of lincomycin formed under the irradiation of electron beam, and the degradation efficiency as a function of the various irradiation dose and sample concentration was investigated. Electron beam (10 MeV, 0.5 mA and 5 kW) experiments for the structural characteriza- tion of degradation products that are fortified with lincomycin, were performed at the dose of 10 kGy. The separation of degrada- tion products and lincomycin was carried out using a C18 column (2.1×100 mm, 3.5 µm), using gradient elution with 20 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile. The structures of six degradation products of lincomycin were proposed by interpretation of mass spectra and chromatograms by LC-MS/MS. The mass fragmentation pathways of mass spectra in tandem mass spectrome- try were also proposed. Experiments were performed of the degradation efficiency as a function of the irradiation dose intensity and the initial concentration of lincomycin in an aqueous environment. In addition, increased degradation efficiency was observed with a higher dose of electron beam and lower concentration.