Occurrence of emerging pollutants in estuaries of the Basque Country: Analysis of sources and distribution, and assessment of the environmental risk.

In this study, the spatial and temporal-distribution of 41-multiclass organic compounds were assessed in three estuaries of the Basque Country, from winter 2016 to winter 2017 by grab (active) sampling methods and an extra campaign combining both, grab and passive sampling methods. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents were also evaluated to assess their impact on the estuaries. Moreover, the physicochemical features (phosphate and nitrate concentrations, pH, etc.

Determination of endocrine disrupting compounds in fish liver, brain, and muscle using focused ultrasound solid-liquid extraction and dispersive solid phase extraction as clean-up strategy.

This study describes a new method for the simultaneous extraction of several endocrine disrupting compounds, including alkylphenols (APs), estrogen, bisphenol-A (BPA) and one phthalate metabolite (mono-2-ethylhexyl ester, MEHP) in fish liver, brain, and muscle. Parameters affecting the extraction (extraction solvent and temperature) and the clean-up (dispersive phase nature and amount) steps were evaluated. The extraction was performed by means of focused ultrasound solid-liquid extraction (FUSLE) using 10 mL of n-hexane:acetone (50:50, v/v) for 5 min at ~0 °C, and the clean-up was done by means of dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE) using 100 mg of ENVI-CARB and 100 mg of MgSO4 for the cleaning of brain and muscle extracts together with 100 mg of PSA in the case of liver extracts.

Simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and extraction of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in fish bile using polyethersulfone polymer.

This study describes a new method for the simultaneous extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of alkylphenols, estrogens, bisphenol-A and phthalate metabolite (mono-2-ethylhexyl ester, MEHP) in fish bile using polyethersulfone (PES) polymer as sorptive material. Parameters affecting the hydrolysis (enzyme amount) and extraction (nature of polymeric material, PES desorption solvent nature and time, PES amount and time profile) were optimised. The optimum conditions were fixed as: 5 PES tubes (1.

Determination of endocrine disrupting compounds and their metabolites in fish bile.

This work describes a new methodology for the simultaneous determination of a large variety of emerging and persistent organic compounds and some of their metabolites in fish bile samples. The target compounds were musk fragrances, alkyl phenols, hormones, pesticides, phthalate esters and bisphenol-A, all of them with a known endocrine disrupting effect. To achieve the determination these three steps were optimized: i) an enzymatic hydrolysis of the metabolites to render the unconjugated compounds; ii) the solid phase extraction of the target analytes (Plexa cartridges 200-mg); and, iii) a clean-up of the extracts (Florisil cartridges 1-g).

Assessment of commercially available polymeric materials for sorptive microextraction of priority and emerging nonpolar organic pollutants in environmental water samples.

Among the different organic pollutants, persistent organic pollutants and emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are of particular concern due to their potentially dangerous effects on the ecosystems and on human health. In the framework of the analysis of some of these organic pollutants in water samples, sorptive extraction devices have proven to be adequate for their monitoring. The efficiency of four commercially available and low-cost polymeric materials [polypropylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), Raffia, and polyethersulfone (PES)] for the simultaneous extraction of 16 organic compounds from five different families from environmental water samples was evaluated in this work.