Headspace solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization for the determination of aldehydes in algae by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple, fast, sensitive and cost-effective method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with on-fiber derivatization coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of six typical aldehydes, 2E-hexenal, heptanal, 2E-heptenal, 2E,4E-heptadienal, 2E-decenal and 2E,4E-decadienal in laboratory algae cultures. As derivatization reagent, O-2,3,4,5,6-(pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine hydrochloride, was loaded onto the poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene fiber for aldehydes on-fiber derivatization prior to HS-SPME. Various influence factors of extraction efficiency were systematically investigated. Under optimized extraction conditions, excellent method performances for all the six aldehydes were attained, such as satisfactory extraction recoveries ranging from 67.1 to 117%, with the precision (relative standard deviation) within 5.3-11.1%, and low detection limits in the range of 0.026-0.044 μg/L. The validated method was successfully applied for the analysis of the aldehydes in two diatoms (Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros muelleri), two pyrrophytas (Prorocentrum micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea) and Calanus sinicus eggs (feeding on the two diatoms above).     

Simple and automatic determination of aldehydes and acetone in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

We describe a simple and automatic method to determine nine aldehydes and acetone simultaneously in water. This method is based on derivatization with 2,2,2-trifluoroethylhydrazine (TFEH) and consecutive headspace-solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Acetone-d(6) was used as the internal standard. Aldehydes and acetone in water reacted for 30 min at 40°C with TFEH in a headspace vial and the formed TFEH derivatives were simultaneously vaporized and adsorbed on polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene. Under the established condition, the method detection limit was 0.1-0.5 μg/L in 4 mL water and the relative standard deviation was less than 13% at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.05 mg/L. This method was applied to determine aldehydes and acetone in 5 mineral water and 114 surface water samples. All mineral water samples had detectable levels of methanal (24.0-61.8 μg/L), ethanal (57.7-110.9 μg/L), propanal (11.5-11.7 μg/L), butanal, pentanal (3.3-3.4 μg/L) and nonanal (0.3-0.4 μg/L). Methanal and ethanal were also detected in concentration range of 2.7-117.2 and 1.2-11.9 μg/L, respectively, in surface water of 114 monitoring sites in Korea.     

Application of solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of chlorophenols in leather

This paper proposes a new analytical procedure based on the headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) technique and gas chromatography‐selected ion monitoring‐mass spectrometry (GC‐SIM‐MS) for the determination of 16 phenols extracted from leather samples. The optimized conditions for the HS‐SPME were obtained through two experimental designs – a two‐level fractional factorial design followed by a central composite design – using the commercial SPME fiber polyacrylate 85 μm (PA). The best extraction conditions were as follows: 200 μL of derivatizing agent (acetic anhydride), 20 mL of saturated aqueous NaCl solution and extraction time and temperature of 50 min and 75°C, respectively. All optimized conditions were obtained with fixed leather sample mass (250 mg), vial volume (40 mL) and phosphate buffer pH (12) and concentration (50 mmol/L). Detection limits ranging from 0.03 to 0.20 ng/g, and relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 10.23% (n=6) for a concentration of 800 ng/g (chlorophenols) and 1325 ng/g (2‐phenylphenol) in the splitless mode were obtained. The recovery was studied at three concentration levels by adding different amounts of phenols to the leather sample and excellent recoveries ranging from 90.0 to 107.2% were obtained. The validated method was shown to be suitable for the quantification of phenols in leather samples, as it is simple, relatively fast and sensitive.     

Rapid determination of C6-aldehydes in tomato plant emission by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization

A simple, rapid, sensitive, and solvent-free method was developed for determination of plant-signalling compounds, the three C6-aldehydes hexanal, (Z)-3-hexenal, and (E)-2-hexenal, in tomato plant emission by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with on-fiber derivatization. In this method, O-2,3,4,5,6-(pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) in aqueous solution was first headspace adsorbed onto a 65 microm poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber at 25 degrees C for 5 min, and then the fiber with adsorbed PFBHA was used for headspace extraction of tomato plant emission at 25 degrees C for 6 min. Finally, the resulting oximes adsorbed on the fiber were desorbed and analyzed by GC-MS. Extraction conditions and method validation were studied. The proposed method had low detection limit values for the three aldehydes from 0.1 to 0.5 ng/L and good precision (RSD less than 10%). In this work, the method was applied to investigation of tomato plant defense response to Helicoverpa armigera.     

固相微萃取/加速溶剂萃取-气相色谱-质谱法分析青山绿水茶叶的挥发性成分

采用固相微萃取(SPME)和加速溶剂萃取(ASE)两种前处理方法从青山绿水茶叶(也叫苦丁茶)中提取挥发性成分,用气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)定性。实验结果表明:两种前处理方法共检测出91种成分,SPME检出49种,ASE检出56种,共同组分14种。青山绿水茶叶的挥发性成分主要成分有β-月桂烯、3,3,5-三甲基-1,5-庚二烯、L-柠檬烯、α-罗勒烯、β-罗勒烯、β-蒎烯、2-甲基安息香醛和5-羟甲基糠醛等物质。这两种提取方法各具优势,共同应用可以起到取长补短的作用。     

The determination of volatile organic compounds in soils using solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was applied in the development of a protocol for the analysis of a number of target organic compounds in landfill site samples. The selected analytes, including aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbous, and unsaturated compounds, were absorbed directly from a headspace sample above a soil layer onto a fused silica fiber. Following exposure, the fiber was thermally desorbed in the injection port of the gas chromatograph and eluted compounds were detected using a mass selective detector. The stability and sensitivity of the extraction technique were examined at five temperatures (22–60°C) using a 100μm polydimethylsiloxane fiber. Calibrations, using soil samples spiked with selected solvents (0.5–30 μg/g), were linear; trichloroethene (r² = 0.992) and benzene (r² = 0.998). SPME was applied to the examination of a municipal landfill where 8 sites were sampled, at three depths, resulting in the detection of xylene (maximum 2.8 μg/g) and a number of other non-target organic contaminants.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of chlorophenols in water and body fluid samples

A new method, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is used for the determination of trace amounts of chlorophenols, such as 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TrCP), 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,6-TeCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), in tap water, river water and human urine samples, is described. The derivatization conditions with acetic acid anhydride and the SBSE conditions such as extraction time are investigated. Then, the stir bar is subjected to TD followed by GC-MS. The detection limits of the chlorophenols in tap water, river water and human urine samples are 1-2, 1-2, and 10-20 pg ml⁻¹ (ppt), respectively. The calibration curves for the chlorophenols are linear and have correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. The average recoveries of the chlorophenols in all the samples are higher than 95% (R.S.D. < 10%) with correction using added surrogate standards, 2,4-dichlorophenol-d₅, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol-¹³C₆, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol-¹³C₆ and pentachlorophenol-¹³C₆. This simple, accurate, sensitive and selective analytical method may be applicable to the determination of trace amounts of chlorophenols in liquid samples.     

顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱法快速测定酱油中的挥发性风味成分

建立了一种快速简便地测定酱油中挥发性风味成分的顶空固相微萃取（HS-SPME）-气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)。以2-辛醇为内标,考察了萃取头、萃取时间、离子强度、萃取温度对酱油样品中挥发性风味物质萃取的影响。该方法对酱油中常见挥发性风味成分的测定有良好的重复性和回收率,对常见挥发性物质的定量比较准确。优化的HS-SPME条件为：涂层厚度为85 μm聚丙烯酸酯(PA)萃取纤维头,于45 ℃、NaCl质量浓度为250 g/L下对酱油样品顶空吸附40 min,于250 ℃下解吸2 min后进行GC-MS分离鉴定。酱油样品的分析结果表明,其挥发性风味物质中含量较高的是醇、酸、酯和酚类,此外还有一些羰基化合物和杂环化合物。     

Evaluation of liquid-phase microextraction conditions for determination of chlorophenols in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry without derivatization

Determination of trace chlorophenols (CPs) in environmental samples has been evaluated using liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) without derivatization. The LPME procedure used to extract CPs from water involved 15 microL 1-octanol as acceptor solution in a 5.0 cm polypropylene hollow fiber with an inner diameter of 600 microm and a pore size of 0.2 microm. Under the optimal extraction conditions, enrichment factors from 117 to 220 are obtained. The obtained linear range is 1-100 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9967 for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP); 1-100 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9905 for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP); 5-500 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9983 for 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,6-TeCP), and 10-1000 ng mL(-1) with r(2)=0.9929 for pentachlorophenol (PCP). The limits of detection range from 0.08 to 2 ng mL(-1), which is comparable with the reported values (12-120 ng mL(-1)). Recoveries of CPs in various matrices exceed 85% with relative standard deviations of less than 10%, except for PCP in landfill leachate. The applicability of this method was examined to determine CPs in environmental samples by analyzing landfill leachate, ground water and soil. The 2,4-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP detected in the landfill leachate are 6.68 and 2.47 ng mL(-1). The 2,4,6-TCP detected in ground water is 2.08 ng mL(-1). All the studied CPs are detected in contaminated soil. The proposed method is simple, low-cost, less organic solvent used and can potentially be applied to analyze CPs in complex environmental matrices.     

固相微萃取-气相色谱法和气相色谱-质谱法测定茶叶中氟虫腈及其代谢物残留

基于固相微萃取-气相色谱(SPME-GC)建立了检测茶叶中氟虫腈及其代谢物(脱亚硫酰基氟虫腈、硫化氟虫腈、氟虫腈砜、酰胺氟虫腈)残留的分析方法。实验中采用85 μm聚丙烯酸酯(PA)萃取头,萃取温度为60 ℃,萃取缓冲体系的pH值为9。当添加水平为2～10 μg/kg时,回收率在71.2%～109.3%之间,相对标准偏差(RSD)在1.2%～7.1%之间。方法的检出限(LOD)和定量限(LOQ)分别在0.3～1.2 μg/kg和1.0～4.0 μg/kg之间。对所建立的方法采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)进行确证,结果令人满意。本方法灵敏度、精密度和LOD均符合残留分析要求,具有快速、灵敏度高的特点,适合于茶叶中氟虫腈及其代谢物残留的痕量分析。     

Purge-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of chlorophenols in aqueous samples

A simple, economical and very effective method is demonstrated for simultaneous determination of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and pentachlorophenol, in aqueous samples, by using purge-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction (PA/HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the new method, purging the sample enhances the removal of the trace chlorophenols without derivatization from the matrices to the headspace. Extraction parameters including extraction temperature, purge gas flow rate and extraction time were systematically investigated. Under optimal conditions, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 4-11% at 50 pg/mL and 5-14% at 5 pg/mL, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 83-114%. Detection limits were determined at the fg level. These results indicate that PA/HS-SPME provides a significant contribution to highly efficient extraction of semi-volatile CPs, especially for pentachlorophenol, which has the smallest Henry's constant and large octanol-water partitioning coefficient. In addition, the proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of chlorophenols in landfill leachate. New perspectives are opened for headspace extraction of relatively low vapor pressure compounds in complex matrices.     

Evaluation of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the simultaneous determination of chlorophenols and haloanisoles in wines and cork stoppers using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was evaluated for the simultaneous determination of five chlorophenols and seven haloanisoles in wines and cork stoppers. Parameters, such as the nature and volume of the extracting and disperser solvents, extraction time, salt addition, centrifugation time and sample volume or mass, affecting the DLLME were carefully optimized to extract and preconcentrate chlorophenols, in the form of their acetylated derivatives, and haloanisoles. In this extraction method, 1mL of acetone (disperser solvent) containing 30μL of carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) was rapidly injected by a syringe into 5mL of sample solution containing 200μL of acetic anhydride (derivatizing reagent) and 0.5mL of phosphate buffer solution, thereby forming a cloudy solution. After extraction, phase separation was performed by centrifugation, and a volume of 4μL of the sedimented phase was analyzed by GC-MS. The wine samples were directly used for the DLLME extraction (red wines required a 1:1 dilution with water). For cork samples, the target analytes were first extracted with pentane, the solvent was evaporated and the residue reconstituted with acetone before DLLME. The use of an internal standard (2,4-dibromoanisole) notably improved the repeatability of the procedure. Under the optimized conditions, detection limits ranged from 0.004 to 0.108ngmL(-1) in wine samples (24-220pgg(-1) in corks), depending on the compound and the sample analyzed. The enrichment factors for haloanisoles were in the 380-700-fold range.     

Accurate analysis of trace earthy-musty odorants in water by headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of trace earthy-musty compounds including geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2,3,4-trichloroanisole, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, and 2,3,6-trichloroanisole in water samples. This method combined headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and used naphthalene-d(8) as internal standard. A divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber exposing at 90°C for 30 min provided effective sample enrichment in HS-SPME. These compounds were separated by a DB-1701MS capillary column and detected in selected ion monitoring mode within 12 min. The method showed a good linearity from 1 to 100 ng L(-1) and detection limits within (0.25-0.61 ng L(-1)) for all compounds. Using naphthalene-d(8) as the internal standard, the intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was within (2.6-3.4%), while the inter-day RSD was (3.5-4.9%). Good recoveries were obtained for tap water (80.5-90.6%), river water (81.5-92.4%), and lake water (83.5-95.2%) spiked at 10 ng L(-1). Compared with other methods using HS-SPME for determination of odor compounds in water samples, this present method had more analytes, better precision, and recovery. This method was successfully applied for analysis of earthy-musty odors in water samples from different sources.     

Suitability of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the in situ silylation of chlorophenols in water samples before gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

Trace analysis of chlorophenols in water was performed by simultaneous silylation and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was carried out using an organic solvent lighter than water (n‐hexane). The effect of different silylating reagents on the method efficiency was investigated. The influence of derivatization reagent volume, presence of catalyst and derivatization/extraction time on the yield of the derivatization reaction was studied. Different parameters affecting extraction efficiency such as kind and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, pH of the sample and addition of salt were also investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 0.05–100 ng/mL and the limit of detection was 0.01 ng/mL. The enrichment factors were 242, 351, and 363 for 4‐chlorophenol, 2,4‐dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, respectively. The values of intra‐ and inter‐day relative standard deviations were in the range of 3.0–6.4 and 6.1–9.9%, respectively. The applicability of the method was investigated by analyzing water and wastewater samples.     

Microwave-accelerated derivatization processes for the determination of phenolic acids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A rapid method for the derivatization of phenolic antioxidants using microwave irradiation has been developed. Six antioxidatively active phenolic components of wines and fruits, namely gallic acid, gentisic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid were used in the model study. The solution of phenolic acids was evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator followed by further drying under microwave irradiation (600 W, 30 s). The resultant residue was dissolved in pyridene and treated with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide while irradiated by microwave using high power for 30 s. Controlled reaction was carried out employing bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide under conventional heating for 30 min. The trimethylsilyl derivatives were identified and quantified on a gas chromatography/mass selective detector. The mass spectral fragmentation patterns of the derivatives obtained by microwave irradiation were identical to those prepared by heating. The yields of microwave-assisted silylation were comparable to those from conventional heating. The rsd were less than 8% for six replicates. The linearity in wine matrix was nearly perfect. This method is a useful protocol to examine the phenolic constituents in wines and agricultural products.     

固相萃取-衍生化-气相色谱-质谱联用法同时测定尿液中4种阿片类物质

公安机关用胶体金尿检法对海洛因滥用者的检测常常受到阿片类镇咳药的干扰,使用传统液-液提取法进行实验室检验,操作效率低,灵敏度不高,无法满足公安机关打击涉毒案件的需要。为此,该研究建立了尿液中吗啡、O⁶-单乙酰吗啡、可待因和乙酰可待因4种阿片类物质的固相萃取和衍生化技术结合气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)同时检测方法。尿样用磷酸盐缓冲液调节至pH=6后,经MCX固相萃取柱净化,用N-甲基-N-(三甲基硅烷基)三氟乙酰胺(MSTFA)对吗啡、O⁶-单乙酰吗啡、可待因进行衍生化,供GC-MS检测。考察了上样和洗脱流速、淋洗液中甲酸体积分数、洗脱液中氨水体积分数、3%(v/v)甲酸甲醇淋洗液体积和固相萃取柱吹干时间对萃取效果的影响。确定上样和洗脱流速1.0 mL/min,淋洗液中甲酸体积分数3%,洗脱液中氨水体积分数5%, 3%(v/v)甲酸甲醇淋洗液体积1 mL,吹干时间1 min为最佳条件。在此条件下,4种阿片类物质在0.02～0.8μg/mL范围内线性关系良好(r²≥0.998),检出限(LOD)为0.001 6～0.00...     

Comparative study of the determination of trimethylamine in water and air by combining liquid chromatography and solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization

This work describes a new approach for the determination of trimethylamine (TMA) in water and air by liquid chromatography (LC). The assay is based on the employment of a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber for sampling and for derivatization of the analyte with the fluorogenic reagent 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC). The fiber, with a Carbowax-templated resin −50 μm coating, was first immersed into a solution of the reagent. Once loaded with the reagent, the fiber was immersed into the water samples or exposed to the air samples in order to extract and to derivatize the analyte. Finally, the fiber was placed into a HPLC-SPME interface to desorb and transfer the TMA-FMOC derivative to the LC equipment. A comparative study of the analytical characteristics of the procedure in water and air samples was carried out. Under optimized conditions, the proposed approach permits the quantification of TMA in solution within the 1.0-10.0 μg/ml interval and in air within the 25-200 mg/m³ interval. The limits of detection were 0.25 μg/ml and 12 mg/m³ (25 °C, 1.013 × 10⁻⁵ Pa) in water and air, respectively. The utility of the proposed method for determining TMA in different kind of samples is discussed.     

Determination of cocaine and cocaethylene in urine by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In order to evaluate recent cocaine exposure or its coingestion with ethanol, a simple and sensitive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure for determination of cocaine and cocaethylene in urine was developed and validated. A polydimethylsiloxane fibre (100 microm) was submersed in the urine sample for 20 min under magnetic stirring after alkalinization with solid buffer (NaHCO(3):K(2)CO(3), 2:1). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify and quantify the analytes in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). The limits of quantification were 5.0 ng/mL for both analytes. Good inter- and intra-assay precision was also observed (coefficient of variation <9%).     

Measurement of fuel oxygenates in tap water using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The presence of alkyl ether fuel oxygenates in drinking water supplies has raised public health concerns because of possible adverse health effects from chronic exposure to these compounds. To enable large exposure studies exploring possible relationships between chronic exposure to alkyl ether fuel oxygenates and health effects, we developed an improved analytical method, using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This method quantifies trace levels of methyl tertiary-butyl ether, ethyl tertiary-butyl ether, di-isopropyl ether, and tertiary-amyl methyl ether in tap water. The method achieves detection limits of less than 0.025 microg/L for all analytes and linear ranges of three orders of magnitude in the measurement of the alkyl ether fuel oxygenates in 5-mL tap water samples. The relative percentage of recoveries of the alkyl ether fuel oxygenates ranged from 97% to 105%. The relative standard deviation ranged from 2% to 6%. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether was detected in samples of tap water taken from geographically diverse regions of the United States. The improved throughput and sensitivity of this method will enable large epidemiologic field studies of the prevalence and magnitude of exposure to alkyl ether fuel oxygenates in the general population.     

Sensitive determination of salicylate and benzophenone type UV filters in water samples using solid-phase microextraction, derivatization and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive procedure for the determination of three UV filters: ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl salicylate (Homosalate, HMS), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3) and two related hydroxylated benzophenones (2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, BP-1 and 2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, BP-8) in water samples is presented. Analytes were first concentrated on the coating of a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibre, on-fibre silylated and then determined using gas chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Factors affecting the performance of extraction and derivatization steps are thoroughly evaluated and their effects on the yield of the sample preparation discussed. Under final working conditions, a PDMS-DVB coated SPME fibre was exposed directly to 10 mL of water, adjusted at pH 3, for 30 min. After that, the fibre was placed in the headspace (HS) of a 1.5 mL vial containing 20 μL of N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA). On-fibre silylation of hydroxyl groups contained in the structure of target compounds was performed at 45 °C for 10 min. The whole sample preparation process was completed in 40 min, providing limits of quantification from 0.5 to 10 ng L⁻¹ and acceptable precision (RSDs under 13%) for samples spiked at different concentrations. All compounds could be accurately determined in river and treated wastewater (relative recoveries from 89 to 115%) using standards in ultrapure water, whereas standard addition is recommended to quantify their levels in untreated wastewater. Analysis of wastewater revealed the systematic presence of BP-3 and BP-1 in raw samples with maximum concentrations close to 500 and 250 ng L⁻¹, respectively.