Method based on solid-phase microextraction–high-performance liquid chromatography with UV and electrochemical detection to determine estrogenic compounds in water samples

We determined a group of estrogenic compounds by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with both ultraviolet (UV) and electrochemical detection (ED). A modified liquid chromatograph was used. Polyacrylate fibers (85 μm) were used to extract the analytes from the aqueous samples. Dynamic and static modes of desorption were compared and the variables affecting both absorption and desorption processes in SPME–HPLC were optimized. Static desorption gave the best recoveries and peak shapes. The performance of the SPME–HPLC–UV–ED method was checked with river water and wastewater. The method enabled estrogenic compounds to be determined at low-μg l−1 levels in real water samples. Limits of detection were between 0.3 and 1.1 μg l−1 using UV detection and between 0.06 and 0.08 μg l−1 using ED. β-Estradiol was found in samples from a wastewater treatment plant at concentrations between 1.9 and 2.2 μg l−1.