Simultaneous trace determination of nine organic UV-absorbing compounds (UV filters) in environmental samples

A new sensitive method has been successfully developed and validated for the simultaneous determination and quantification of nine estrogenic UV filters (benzophenone-1, benzophenone-2, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-4, 4,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, ethyl-4-aminobenzoate, 2-ethyl-hexyl-4-trimethoxycinnamate, 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)-camphor, 3-benzylidene-camphor) in different environmental matrices. After optimisation of extraction conditions for the best recovery of polar to lipophilic compounds from fish tissue and a subsequent lipid clean-up in HPLC, fish extraction recoveries exceeded 72% for all nine UV filters. Identification and quantification of compounds was performed for lipophilic UV filters with gas chromatography–electroionisation-mass spectrometry and for polar and mid-polar compounds with liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Instrumental detection limits (IDL) varied between 5 and 260 pg injected and method detection limits (MDL) were in the low ng/g lipids range for all test compounds. The described analytical methods are shown to be useful to screen for estrogenic UV filters in environmental samples such as fish and polar organic chemical integrative samplers.