Determination of endocrine-disrupting phenols, acidic pharmaceuticals, and personal-care products in sewage by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The occurrence, fate, and effects of phenols with endocrine-disrupting properties as well as some pharmaceuticals and personal-care products in the environment have frequently been discussed in recent literature. In many cases, these compounds were determined by using individual methods which can be time-consuming if results for multiple parameters are required. Using a solid-phase extraction procedure with an anion exchanger in this work, we have developed and optimized a multi-residue method for the extraction of 21 phenols and acids in sewage influent and effluent. The phenols and acids were then selectively eluted in separate fractions and were converted into pentafluoropropionyl (PFP) and tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives, respectively, for gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC/MS) determination. When applied to the sewage samples under study, the results for nonylphenol, bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), 17ss-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), salicylic acid, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and a few other acidic drugs were consistent with those determined previously by individual methods. Using the same procedure, we also report, for the first time, the occurrence of 2-phenylphenol and parabens in those sewage samples.