title: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining the presence of eleven personal care products in surface and wastewaters.
abstract: Personal care products (PCPs) are widely used emerging contaminants which can cause adverse environmental effects. This paper reports the development and validation of a method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-(ESI)MS-MS) for simultaneously determining eleven PCPs: 4 preservatives (methylparaben; ethylparaben; benzylparaben; propylparaben); 2 antimicrobial agents (triclocarban and triclosan) and 5 UV filters (2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone; 2,2-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone; benzophenone-3; octocrylene and octyldimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid) in environmental waters in only 9 run minutes of chromatographic separation. The SPE was carried out with two polymeric cartridges (Oasis HLB and Bond Elut Plexa). The recoveries obtained with Bond Elut Plexa were between 69% and 101% for 500 mL of river waters, with the exception of octyldimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (46%). Limits of detection for 500 mL of river water were in the range of 1-5 ng/L. Oasis HLB was chosen for wastewater samples with recoveries between 38% and 92% (250 mL of effluents) and 36-89% (100mL of influents). In both wastewater samples, octyldimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid and methylparaben showed the lowest recoveries (20% and 27%). The method revealed benzophenone-3 as having the highest concentration levels ( 7 ng/L) in river waters. Most of PCPs determined were found in influent waters being methylparaben and propylparaben the ones found at highest concentration with values of 5613 and 1945 ng/L, respectively. In effluent waters, significant lower levels of some PCPs were found, being benzophenone-3 the one found at the highest concentration (100 ng/L).
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Rovira i Virgili University, Marcel.lí Domingo s/n, Sescelades Campus, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedrouzo
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borrull
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marcé
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pocurull
mesh_terms: D001577:Benzophenones / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D010226:Parabens / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014260:Triclosan / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001577:Benzophenones; D003358:Cosmetics; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010226:Parabens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014260:Triclosan; C005290:oxybenzone