Quantitation of 17a-ethinylestradiol in aquatic samples using liquid-liquid phase extraction, dansyl derivatization, and liquid chromatography/positive electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

FAGEN ZHANG; MICHAEL J. BARTELS; E. LYNN MCCLYMONT; JULIE C. BRODEUR; KENT B. WOODBURN

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM.

Año: 2004 vol. 18 p. 2739 - 2742

0951-4198

A rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in environmental aqueous samples has been developed. Aquatic samples were extracted using liquid-liquid extraction, and organic phase extracts were concentrated and derivatized with dansyl chloride. Analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with positive electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS). Deuterated 17a-ethinylestradiol was used as internal standard and was added to samples before extraction. A limit of quantitation of 1 ng/L was obtained using a 25mL aqueous sample. The average recovery of EE2 spiked into a 25mL tapwater sample was 100%. This highly sensitive quantitation method is useful for measuring low levels of EE2 in aqueous environmental samples.