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.