Extraction method for the multiresidue analysis of legacy and emerging pollutants in marine mussels from the Adriatic Sea

The release of hazardous chemicals into aquatic environments has long been a known problem, but its full impact has only recently been realized. This study presents a validated liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method for detecting pharmaceutical and pesticide residues in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). An innovative MS-compatible extraction method was developed and validated, demonstrating successful recovery rates for analytes at three different concentration levels (25–95%). The method detected the target analytes at ng/g concentrations with high accuracy (− 7% to 11%) and low relative standard deviation (<10%) for both intra-day and inter-day analyses. After validation, the method was applied to mussel samples collected from a commercial farm near Senigallia, Adriatic Sea, detecting different contaminants in the range of 2–40 ng/g (dry weight). The study provides a valuable tool for investigating the potential threats posed by diverse contaminant classes with high annual tonnage, including analytes with known persistence and/or illegal status.