Abstract
Although there is increasing concern about residues from personal care products entering the aquatic environment and their potential to accumulate to levels that pose a health threat to humans and wildlife, we still know little about the extent and magnitude of their presence in the aquatic environment. In this study we describe a procedure for isolation, and subsequent determination, of compounds commonly added to personal care products. The compounds of interest include UV filters with the commercial name Eusolex (homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor, benzophenone-3, octocrylene, butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) and two common anti-microbial agents, clorophene and triclosan. Water samples were filtered, acidified, and extracted by use of solid-phase extraction. Extracted compounds were then derivatised before analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. By use of our method we obtained limits of detection of 13–266 ng L−1 for UV filters, and 10–186 ng L−1 for triclosan and clorophene. Recoveries were 82–98% for deionised water and 50–98% for natural water (seawater, pool water, lake water, and river water). Samples collected in Slovenia included seventeen recreational waters (seawater, pool water, lake water, and river water; August 2004) and four wastewaters (January 2005). The most abundant UV filter was benzophenone-3 (11–400 ng L−1). Of the two anti-microbial agents studied, trace amounts, only, of triclosan were present in the river Kolpa (68 ng L−1) and in an hospital effluent (122 ng L−1).
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Professor Lucija Zupančič Kralj, Mrs Silva Perko, Mr Jan Antonić, and Dr Dušan Žigon for helpful advice and technical assistance, all the participating hospitals and WWTPs for providing samples, and Phenomenex for donating the Strata X cartridges. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Slovenian Research Agency (Program group P1-0143 and Project L1-6552) and Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and EU Structural Funds for supporting the Centre of Excellence Environmental Technologies (Contract No.: 3211-05-000184).
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Cuderman, P., Heath, E. Determination of UV filters and antimicrobial agents in environmental water samples. Anal Bioanal Chem 387, 1343–1350 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-0927-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-0927-y