Determination of some endocrine disrupter chemicals in urban wastewater samples using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of trace amounts of fourteen endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs) in urban wastewater samples has been developed. The studied compounds were: bisphenol A and its chlorinated derivatives (monochloro, dichloro, trichloro and tretrachlorobisphenol A), three alkylphenols (4-n-nonyl, 4-n-octyl and 4-(tert-octyl)phenol) and six well known phthalate esters (dimethyl, diethyl, di-n-butyl, butylbenzyl, bis(2-ethylhexyl) and di-n-octylphthalate). The method involves extraction from the samples and preconcentration of the analytes using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure and subsequent liquid chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection (LC−MS). Bisphenol F was used as a surrogate. Quantification limits found ranged between 12 ng L^− 1 for diethylphthalate and 69 ng L^− 1 for 4-(tert-octyl)phenol. The method was satisfactorily used for determination of these chemicals in urban wastewater samples of Granada City (Spain) and validated using a recovery assay with spiked samples.