Abstract
A rapid, cost effective and reliable analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of four estrogens (17 β-estradiol, 17 α-ethinylestradiol, estrone, and estriol) in compost samples from the biodegradation of biological infectious hazardous wastes. Ultrasonic solvent extraction, using methanol as extraction solvent, coupled with SPE clean-up, using cartridges HLB 60 mg - 6 ml Supelco® and acetonitrile for reconstitution of eluents, was used for the simultaneous extraction of the four estrogens. Mean recoveries in the range of 98% - 107% were obtained. All compounds were separated in a single gradient run by UHPLC KinetexTM 2.6 μm XB-C18 100 Å LC (50 × 4.6 mm) column. Analytes were detected via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using an AB SCIEX API-5000TM triple quadrupole (Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX) with electrospray ionization in negative mode. Isocratic mobile phase of Water:ACN (50:50) resulted to be the optimum. Limits of detection and quantification were on the order of 0.66 ng·g-1 and 2 ng·g-1 for all the estrogens. These limits were lower than most of the values reported in the literature for similar matrices. Suitable level of linearity, good repeatability and reproducibility with coefficients of variation is lower than 11.7%, 6.8% and 8.3%, respectively.
Highlights
Hospitals are commonly intensive generators of biological infectious hazardous wastes (BIHW); hospital biological wastes constitute a very complex matrix, loaded with microorganisms, pharmaceutical products, toxic chemicals and hormones [1]
The ultrasonic solvent extraction coupled with solidphase extraction (SPE) for clean-up, described in Section 2.3, resulted to be the optimum procedure for the simultaneous extraction of the four estrogens
Proper sample preparation and adequate clean up were to the factors responsible of having high recoveries. This is in accordance with that reported in the literature [28] [29] in the sense that sample preparation and adequate clean up steps are of great importance to minimize the matrix interference during the final quantification step
Summary
Hospitals are commonly intensive generators of biological infectious hazardous wastes (BIHW); hospital biological wastes constitute a very complex matrix, loaded with microorganisms, pharmaceutical products, toxic chemicals and hormones [1]. Placenta is considered one of the most frequent BIHW from hospitals and is mainly constituted of biodegradable organic matter [2]. The placenta produces large amounts of estriol and estrone, which are the primary estrogens produced by adipose tissue in men and postmenopausal women [3]. Natural estrogens (17 β-estradiol, estrone, and estriol) and the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol, all of the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), have frequently been detected in surface waters, sediments, groundwater, and even drinking water at various levels. They are ubiquitous in the environment despite low solubility and high affinity to organic matter [5]
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