Determination of endocrine disruptors in environmental waters using poly(acrylamide-vinylpyridine) monolithic capillary for in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A method for the determination of endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, in environmental water samples was developed using in-tube solid-phase microextraction followed by liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. A poly(acrylamide-vinylpyridine) monolithic capillary column was applied as the extraction media in view of its greater phase ratio than open-tubular capillaries and thus higher extraction efficiency. After optimizing the extraction conditions, bisphenol A and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol were extracted directly from water samples in a wide dynamic linear range of 0.5-1000 ng mL(-1), with the detection limits obtained as 0.064 and 0.12 ng mL(-1), respectively. The precision of the method was satisfactory with the intraday and interday RSD values smaller than 7.2%. Environmental water samples of different sources were successfully analyzed with the presented method and the monolithic capillary was proved to be robust and reusable in analyzing real water samples.     

Simultaneous determination of phenolic xenoestrogens by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A highly sensitive and selective method for simultaneous determination of some hydroxyl group-containing endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol F (BPF) and 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), was developed. The method consists of precolumn derivatization of the analytes, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and subsequent chromatographic analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. 4,4'-Cyclohexylidenebisphenol (BPZ) was used as an internal standard. Derivatization was carried out using 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzoyl chloride (DIB-Cl) as a label. Parameters of the derivatization reaction (temperature, time, concentration of reagent, stability, etc.) and of the solid-phase extraction (recovery, solvent, etc.) were studied in detail. Detection limits of compounds studied in standard solutions ranged from 0.08-1.3 ppb (ng/ml). The proposed method was successfully applied to plastic samples; BPA was found in both polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride plastics, while 4-NP was found in plastics made of polyvinyl chloride and another polymer.     

Simultaneous determination of endocrine disrupting phenolic compounds and steroids in water by solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A solid-phase extraction (SPE)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) analytical method for the simultaneous separation and determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) from water samples is described in detail. Important and contrasting EDCs including estrone, 17beta-estradiol, 17beta-ethynylestradiol, 16beta-hydroxyestrone, 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A and 4-tert-octylphenol were selected as the target compounds. The SPE technique, followed by the derivatisation with bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide was used for the extraction recoveries of target compounds from water samples. A number of parameters that may affect the recovery of EDCs, such as the type of SPE cartridges, eluents, as well as water properties including pH value, and concentration of salts and humic substances were investigated. It is shown that the Oasis cartridges produced the best recoveries of target EDCs while ethyl acetate was efficient in eluting EDCs from SPE cartridges. The recovery of some EDCs was enhanced by the addition of salt, but reduced by the increase in pH value and humic acid concentration. The optimised method was further verified by performing spiking experiments in natural river water and seawater matrices, with good recovery and reproducibility for all the selected compounds. The established method was successfully applied to environmental water samples from East and West Sussex, UK, for the determination of the target EDCs.     

Analysis of estrogens in environmental waters using polymer monolith in-polyether ether ketone tube solid-phase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple, rapid and sensitive on-line method for simultaneous determination of four endocrine disruptors (17beta-estradiol, estriol, bisphenol A and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol) in environmental waters was developed by coupling in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD). A poly(acrylamide-vinylpyridine-N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide) monolith, synthesized inside a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tube, was selected as the extraction medium. To achieve optimum extraction performance, several parameters were investigated, including extraction flow-rate, extraction time, and pH value, inorganic salt and organic solvent content of the sample matrix. By simply filtered with nylon membrane filter and adjusting the pH of samples to 6.0 with phosphoric acid, the sample solution then could be directly injected into the device for extraction. Low detection limits (S/N=3) and quantification limits (S/N=10) of the proposed method were achieved in the range of 0.006-0.10 ng/mL and 0.02-0.35 ng/mL from spiked lake waters, respectively. The calibration curves of four endocrine disruptors showed good linearity ranging from quantification limits to 50 ng/mL with a linear coefficient R(2) value above 0.9913. Good method reproducibility was also found by intra- and inter-day precisions, yielding the RSDs less than 12 and 9.8%, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of these compounds in several environmental waters.     

Determination of alkylphenols and 17β-estradiol in fish homogenate. Extraction and clean-up strategies

The determination of target analytes such as nonyl- and octylphenols and 17β-estradiol in fish homogenate require of solid–liquid extraction step. In this work microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and focused-ultrasound liquid extraction (FUSLE) were studied as two different alternatives for extraction of the target compounds in zebrafish (Danio rerio) homogenate. In this work solid phase extraction (SPE) using 5-g and 10-g Florisil cartridges and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were studied for the clean-up of the MAE and FUSLE extracts due to the non-selective extraction step. Although good recoveries were obtained both for SPE (106% and 126% range) and GPC (79% and 100% range) clean-up procedures, cleaner chromatograms were obtained after SPE and finally 5-g Florisil cartridges were tested since no improvement was observed when 10-g Florisil cartridges were used. Under optimized clean-up conditions, MAE and FUSLE provided comparable results for 4nOP and NP, while more accurate results were obtained for 4tOP and E2 after FUSLE. Finally, the method was applied to the determination of alkylphenols and 17β-estradiol in zebrafish homogenate that had been exposed to known concentrations of the target analytes. In the case of alkylphenols two different isomers of nonyl- and octylphenol (4-(3′,6′-dimethyl-3′-hepthyl)phenol, 363-NP, and 4-(3′-methyl-3′-hepthyl)phenol, 33-OP) were studied.     

Bamboo charcoal as adsorbent for SPE coupled with monolithic column-HPLC for rapid determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples

The coupling of solid-phase extraction (SPE) using bamboo charcoal (BC) as an adsorbent with a monolithic column-high performance liquid chromatography (MC-HPLC) method was developed for the high-efficiency enrichment and rapid determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water. Key influence factors, such as the type and the volume of the elution solvent, and the flow rate and the volume of the sample loading, were optimized to obtain a high SPE recovery and extraction efficiency. BC as an SPE adsorbent presented a high extraction efficiency due to its large specific surface area and high adsorption capacity; MC as an HPLC column accelerated the separation within 8 min because of its high porosity, fast mass transfer, and low-pressure resistance. The calibration curves for the PAHs extracted were linear in the range of 0.2-15 μg/L, with the correlation coefficients (r(2)) between 0.9970-0.9999. This method attained good precisions (relative standard deviation, RSD) from 3.5 to 10.9% for the standard PAHs I aqueous solutions at 5 μg/L; the method recoveries ranged in 52.6-121.6% for real spiked river water samples with 0.4 and 4 μg/L. The limits of detection (LODs, S/N = 3) of the method were determined from 11 and 87 ng/L. The developed method was demonstrated to be applicable for the rapid and sensitive determination of 16 PAHs in real environmental water samples.     

Determination of Endocrine Disruptors in Environmental Water by Single-Drop Microextraction and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Using single-drop microextraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography, an effective method for the rapid extraction for endocrine disruptors, including estrogens and alkylphenols, was developed. Factors that influenced the extraction efficiency, such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic property, polarity, and van der Waals forces, were evaluated in detail. The results indicated that bisphenol A and estrogens were extracted effectively by the solvents with hydrogen bond acceptors and higher polarity; alkylphenols preferred solvents that could supply strong van der Waals forces or possessed π-π stacking structures and superior hydrophobicity. The optimum extraction conditions were determined, including extraction time, pH, and salt effects. Under the optimized conditions, high extraction factors (≥147) were achieved. Limits of detection for the endocrine disruptors were between 0.33 and 0.67 µg L^?1. The method strategy is well suited for the determination of trace levels of endocrine disruptors in environmental water.     

固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用同时测定河水和海水中87种农药

采用固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用技术,建立了河水和海水中87种农药(24种有机磷、15种有机氯、12种唑类、9种拟除虫菊酯类、5种氨基甲酸酯类、7种酰胺类及15种其他新型农药)的多残留同时分析方法。优化了影响分离效果和灵敏度的仪器参数,考察了固相萃取柱柱型及水样体积、pH、盐度的影响,采用NH2柱优化了净化效果,内标法和替代物法用于数据的质量控制。结果表明: 在最佳条件下,各目标农药的方法检出限为0.1～6.6 ng/L;以实际河水和海水为基底,在5 ng/L和20 ng/L的加标水平下,绝大多数目标农药的回收率为60%～120%,相对标准偏差(n=4)为0.01%～9.7%。该法灵敏、准确,已成功地应用于福建九龙江河口区表层水样中多种类农药的复合污染监测,检出包括5种有机磷类、3种酰胺类、4种唑类、3种氨基甲酸酯类、2种拟除虫菊酯类等农药20种。     

Membrane-assisted solvent extraction coupled to large volume injection–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the determination of a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental water samples

Membrane-assisted solvent extraction coupled to large volume injection in a programmable temperature vaporisation injector using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was optimised for the simultaneous determination of a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental water samples (estuarine, river and wastewater). Among the analytes studied, certain hormones, alkylphenols and bisphenol A were included. The nature of membranes, extraction solvent, extraction temperature, solvent volume, extraction time, ionic strength and methanol addition were evaluated during the optimisation of the extraction. Matrix effects during the extraction step were studied in different environmental water samples: estuarine water, river water and wastewater (influent and effluent). Strong matrix effects were observed for most of the compounds in influent and effluent samples. Different approaches were studied in order to correct or minimise matrix effects, which included the use of deuterated analogues, matrix-matched calibration, standard addition calibration, dilution of the sample and clean-up of the extract using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The use of deuterated analogues corrected satisfactorily matrix effect for estuarine and effluent samples for most of the compounds. However, in the case of influent samples, standard addition calibration and dilution of the sample were the best approaches. The SPE clean-up provided similar recoveries to those obtained after correction with the corresponding deuterated analogue but better chromatographic signal was obtained in the case of effluent samples. Method detection limits in the 5–54 ng L⁻¹ range and precision, calculated as relative standard deviation, in the 2–25% range were obtained.     

分散液液微萃取-衍生化高效液相色谱-荧光检测法测定环境水样中4种酚类内分泌干扰物

为实现小体积环境水样中酚类化合物的准确、快速、高灵敏测定,通过分散液液微萃取(DLLME)和荧光衍生化的结合,建立了高效液相色谱-荧光检测(HPLC-FLD)双酚A、壬基酚、辛基酚和对特辛基酚的分析方法。考察并优化了DLLME和衍生化条件,结果表明,最优的DLLME条件为萃取剂氯仿用量70μL,分散剂乙腈用量400μL,漩涡振荡3 min,高速离心2 min。以2-[2-(7 H-二苯并[a,g]咔唑-乙氧基)]-乙基氯甲酸酯(DBCEC-Cl)为柱前衍生试剂,在pH10.5的Na2CO3-NaHCO3缓冲液/乙腈溶液、50℃下衍生反应3 min得到稳定的衍生产物,于10min内实现了4种酚衍生物的分离。方法的检出限为0.9~1.6 ng/L,定量限为3.8~7.1 ng/L,具有良好的线性、精密度和回收率,与以往报道的方法相比具有一定的优势和实用性,可用于造纸厂废水、湖水、生活废水、自来水中4种酚类内分泌干扰物的测定。     

Analysis of cocaine and its principal metabolites in waste and surface water using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

A validated method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is described for the determination of cocaine (COC) and its principal metabolites, benzoylecgonine (BE) and ecgonine methyl ester (EME), in waste and surface water. Several SPE adsorbents were investigated and the highest recoveries (95.7 +/- 5.5, 91.8 +/- 2.2 and 72.5 +/- 5.3% for COC, BE and EME, respectively) were obtained for OASIS HLB(R) cartridges (6 mL/500 mg) using 100 mL of waste water or 500 mL of surface water. Extracts were analysed by reversed-phase (RP) or hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) LC-MS/MS in positive ion mode with multiple reactions monitoring (MRM); the latter is the first reported application of the HILIC technique for drugs of abuse in water samples. Corresponding deuterated internal standards were used for quantification. The method limits of quantification (LOQs) for COC and BE were 4 and 2 ng L(-1), respectively, when RPLC was used and 1, 0.5 and 20 ng L(-1) for COC, BE and EME, respectively, with the HILIC setup. For COC and BE, the LOQs were below the concentrations measured in real water samples. Stability tests were conducted to establish the optimal conditions for sample storage (pH, temperature and time). The degradation of COC was minimal at -20 degrees C and pH = 2, but it was substantial at +20 degrees C and pH = 6. The validated method was applied to a set of waste and surface water samples collected in Belgium.     

饮用水中9种卤乙酸的超高效液相色谱法测定

建立了固相萃取/超高效液相色谱(SPE/UPLC)测定饮用水中9种痕量卤乙酸(HAAs)的分析方法.对固相萃取和液相色谱等分析条件进行了优化,选择Lichrolut EN固相萃取小柱富集饮用水中的HAAs,三乙胺-磷酸缓冲液和甲醇作为UPLC的流动相.在优化的分析条件下,9种卤乙酸在6min内实现基线分离,所有目标物在一定质量浓度范围内线性良好,相关系数为0.995 7～0.9999;一氯乙酸(MCAA)的检出限为10.85μg/L,其它8种化合物的检出限为0.25～0.70μg/L;除MCAA外,其它目标物在低、中、高3种加标水平的回收率为60%～106%.方法的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)为2.0%～5.7%.将此方法应用于我国北方某城市自来水中卤乙酸的测定,5种HAAs被检出.方法灵敏度高、简便快捷,可用于生活饮用水中痕量卤乙酸的测定.     

Multi-residue analysis of free and conjugated hormones and endocrine disruptors in rat testis by QuEChERS-based extraction and LC-MS/MS

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are suspected to be responsible for many disorders of the human reproductive system. To establish a causality relationship between exposure to endocrine disruptors and disease, experiments on animals must be performed with improved or new analytical tools. Therefore, a simple, rapid, and effective multi-residue method was developed for the determination of four steroid hormones (i.e., testosterone, androstenedione, estrone, and estradiol), glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of estrone and estradiol and four endocrine disruptors in rat testis (i.e., bisphenol A, atrazine, and active metabolites of methoxychlor and vinclozolin). The sample preparation procedure was based on the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) approach. An analytical method was then developed to quantify these compounds at ultra-trace levels by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The QuEChERS extraction was optimized with regard to the acetonitrile/water ratio used in the extraction step, the choice of the cleanup method and the acetonitrile/hexane ratio used in the cleanup step. The optimized extraction method exhibited recoveries between 89% and 108% for all tested compounds except the conjugates (31% to 58%). The detection limits of all compounds were below 20 ng g⁻¹ of wet weight of testis. The method was subsequently applied to determine the levels of hormones and EDCs in seven rat testis samples.     

Simultaneous determination of degradation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates and their halogenated derivatives by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after trimethylsilylation

An efficient method for the simultaneous determination of the degradation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs, n = number of ethoxy units), i.e., nonylphenol (NP), NPnEOs (n = 1-3), nonylphenoxy carboxylic acids (NPnECs, n = 1-2, number of ethoxy units plus an acetate) and their halogenated derivatives (XNP, XNP1EO and XNP1EC; X = Br or Cl), in water samples were developed. After trimethylsilylation with N,O-bis(trimethysilyl)acetamide, all the analytes were determined by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) with electron ionization (EI). The ion peaks of [M - 85]+ of the derivatives were selected as precursor ions and their product ions showing the highest intensities were used for the quantitative analysis. The instrumental detection limits were in the range from 2.1 to 11 pg. The recoveries of the analytes from the water samples were optimized by using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The deuterated reagents of octylphenol, octylphenol monoethoxylate and octylphenoxyacetic acid were used as the surrogates. The method detection limits (500 ml water sample) using C18 SPE were from 2.5 to 18 ng/l. The recoveries from spiked pure water and the environmental water samples were greater than 78%. The method was successfully applied to environmental samples. Remarkably, the concentrations of the halogenated compounds (CINP, CINP1EO and BrNP1EO) were detected at the hundreds of ng/l levels in the Neya river.     

气相色谱-质谱法测定水体中5种典型有机紫外防晒剂

建立了水体中5种典型有机紫外防晒剂甲氧基肉桂酸乙基己酯（ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate,EHMC）、二苯酮-3（benzophenone-3,BP-3）、4-甲基苄亚基樟脑（4-methylbenzylidene camphor,4-MBC）、奥克立林（octocrylene,OC）和胡莫柳酯（homosalate,HMS）的气相色谱-质谱检测方法。对HMS、BP-3衍生化条件进行了系统的优化。以100 μL双（三甲基硅烷基）三氟乙酰胺（N,O-bis（trimethylsilyl） trifluoroacetamide,BSTFA）为衍生化试剂,在100 ℃下反应100 min。水样固相萃取选用Oasis HLB萃取柱（0.5 g）,洗脱溶剂为乙酸乙酯-二氯甲烷（1：1,v/v）,水样pH 3~5。该方法对5种化合物的检出限范围为0.5~1.2 ng/L,定量限范围为1.4~4.0 ng/L。最佳实验条件下,加标水样回收率为87.85%~102.34%,相对标准偏差（n=3）均小于5%。该方法成功地应用于昆明市第一污水厂进出口水样中目标物质的分析。     

Determination of anti-inflammatory drugs and estrogens in water by HPLC with UV detection

An analytical method based on LC and UV detection has been developed for the determination of anti-inflammatory compounds and estrogens in water samples. The drugs investigated were diclofenac, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, clofibric acid, estriol, 17beta-estradiol, estrone and ethynylestradiol. The detection limits were in the range of 6-74 microg/L and 0.041 -0.16 mg/L for acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogens, respectively, using narrow-bore C18 analytical column. Analyte enrichment from water samples was achieved by SPE procedure using polymeric Strata-X cartridges. Average recoveries obtained from 2.5 L of surface water sample were in the range of 77-98%.     

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes as adsorbents of solid-phase extraction for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental waters coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used as a novel kind of solid-phase extraction adsorbents in this work as well as an analytical method based on MWCNTs solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which belong to typical persistent organic pollutants (POPs) owing to their carcinogenicity and endocrine disrupting activity. Several conditions that probably affected the extraction efficiency including the eluent volume, sample flow rate, sample pH and the sample volume were optimized in detail. The characteristic data of analytical performance were determined to investigate the sensitivity and precision of the method, and the method was applied to the determination of PAHs in environmental water samples such as river water sample, tap water sample and wastewater sample from the constructed wetland effluent. The experimental results indicated that there were excellent linear relationship between peak area and the concentration of PAHs over the range of 0.04-100 microg L(-1), and the precisions (RSD) were 1.7-4.8% under the optimal conditions. The detection limits of proposed method for the studied PAHs were 0.005-0.058 microg L(-1) (S/N=3). The recoveries of PAHs spiked in environmental water samples ranged from 78.7 to 118.1%. It was concluded that MWCNTs packed cartridge coupled with HPLC was an excellent alternative for the routine analysis of PAHs at trace level.     

在线固相萃取–液相色谱法测定水中3种微囊藻毒素

建立了在线固相萃取–液相色谱法测定水中3种微囊藻毒素的方法。采用Acclaim PA Cartridge在线固相萃取小柱(10 mm×4.3 mm,5μm),以KH2PO4缓冲溶液–甲醇为富集流动相,进样体积为10 m L。以KH2PO4缓冲溶液–乙腈为洗脱流动相,采用二极管阵列检测器进行检测,检测波长为238 nm。微囊藻毒素MC–LR,MC–RR在0.1~10.0μg/L范围内线性关系良好,MC–YR线性范围则为0.1~5.0μg/L,相关系数r2不小于0.998,3种微囊藻毒素MC–LR,MC–RR,MC–YR的检出限均为0.1μg/L(S/N=3),水源水加标回收率为96.9%~105.4%,测定结果的相对标准偏差为3.55%~6.46%(n=12)。该方法适用于水源水及饮用水中3种微囊藻毒素的快速测定。     

固相萃取-GC/MS法测定水样中20种有机氯农药

建立了用固相萃取小柱提取和净化、GC/MS定性定量同时测定水样中20种有机氯农药的方法。方法采用OasisHLB固相萃取小柱萃取富集水样,二氯甲烷洗脱,加入菲-d₁₀作为内标,利用GC/MS进行定性定量,步骤简便,线性响应良好,干扰小,方法检出限为0.21～0.72 ng/L（按水样1L计）,加标回收率为64.8%～122%,RSD为1.2%～11.0 %。成功利用该方法对广西实际河水样品进行了检测。结果表明方法可以同时满足环境水样中20种痕量有机氯农药的测定。     

Solid-phase extraction of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4MeI) and 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-imidazole (THI) from foods and beverages with subsequent liquid chromatographic-electrospray mass spectrometric quantification

A method for the simultaneous determination of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4MeI) and 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-imidazole (THI) was developed using SPE and HPLC/MS. Solid-phase extraction using SCX Disc cartridges was used for isolation of the analytes from liquid samples. The lower LOQwas 0.1 ng/mL for 4MeI and 0.2 ng/ mL for THI. The linearity of the calibration curves was satisfactory as indicated by correlation coefficients >0.999. The CV for the intra- and inter-day precision was <5% (n = 6); the accuracy was in the range 98-103%. The recovery was > or = 97 and > or = 98% for THI and 4MeI, respectively. The method was used to determine THI and 4MeI in beverages, coffee, caramel colours and other samples.