PARENT SESSION

WP2 Chemical and Biological Analysis of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds
255 Portland Ballroom
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Wednesday

() Mass Spectrometry Determination of Endocrine Disruptors and Their Degradation Products in Wastewaters.

Gomez, M¹, Aguera, A¹, Fernández-Alba, A¹, ¹ Pesticide Residue Research Group, University of Almería, Almería, Spain

ABSTRACT- The endocrine-disrupting phenomena is a relatively new area of concern. Some of the compounds with highest estrogenic capacity include both natural (e.g. 17 -estradiol, estrone) and synthetic estrogens (17 -ethynylestradiol). Apart from these, chemicals from household or industrial processes, such as bisphenol A, or alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOn, e.g. 4-nonylphenol or 4-tert-octylphenol) can exert endocrine disruption by different mechanisms. The endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) may be released directly or indirectly to the aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants appear to be one of the major sources of pollution because these compounds are not totally removed or degraded by biological treatments. They have been detected in wastewaters and surface waters at concentration levels of ng/l. However, the exposition of aquatic organisms, even at these very low concentration levels can induce estrogenic responses, increasing the interest about these compounds. Low concentrations (ng/l) of EDCs are generally determined by GC-MS. Analytical methods proposed in the literature apply derivatization procedures. However, derivatization processes can make the sample preparation laborious and time consuming, and can increase the possibility of contamination as consequence of undesirable reactions with the matrix. A method avoiding this tedious and critical step based on SPE and direct analysis by GC-MS/MS has been proposed. This method was compared with a well-established method that uses BSTFA as derivatizating agent. The obtaining of similar results in both cases demonstrates that the elimination of the derivatization step is feasible. The method has been applied in a monitoring study in wastewater samples from urban treatment plants. Furthermore, the application of LC-MS has been also described for the analysis of EDCs. Of especial interest is its application to the determination of degradation products coming from degradation studies by photolysis or photocatalysis Results form the degradation of bisphenol A are presented.

Key words: wastewater, endocrine disruptors