Quantification of the xenoestrogens 4-tert.-octylphenol and bisphenol A inwater and in fish tissue based on microwave assisted extraction, solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Extraction methods were developed for quantification of the xenoestrogens 4 -tert.-octylphenol (tOP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in water and in liver and mu scle tissue from the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The extraction of tOP and BPA from tissue samples was carried out using microwave-assisted s olvent extraction (MASE) followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Water sa mples were extracted using only SPE. For the quantification of tOP and BPA, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) equipped with an atmospher ic pressure chemical ionisation interface (APCI) was applied. The combined methods for tissue extraction allow the use of small sample amounts of live r or muscle (typically 1 g), low volumes of solvent (20 mi), and short extr action times (25 min). Limits of quantification of tOP in tissue samples we re found to be approximately 10 ng/g in muscle and 50 ng/g in liver (both b ased on 1 g of fresh tissue). The corresponding values for BPA were approxi mately 50 ng/g in both muscle and liver tissue. In water, the limit of quan tification for tOP and BPA was approximately 0.1 mu g/l (based on 100 mi sa mple size). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.