Development of an analytical system for the simultaneous determination of anabolic macrocyclic lactones in aquatic environmental samples

• Published in: Rapid communications in mass spectrometry Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 304 - 310
• Main Authors: Laganá, Aldo, Fago, Giovanna, Marino, Alessandra, Santarelli, Daniela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 28-02-2001
• Subjects: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Lactones - analysis; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Molecular Structure; Online Systems; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sewage - analysis; Zearalenone - analogs & derivatives; Zearalenone - analysis; Zeranol - analysis
• ISSN: 0951-4198; 1097-0231
• DOI: 10.1002/rcm.223

An analytical procedure that enables routine analysis for trace determination of six anabolic macrocyclic lactones (zearalenone, α‐ and β‐zearalenol, zearalanone, zeranol, and taleranol) in sewage treatment plant (STP) samples has been developed. The method uses solid‐phase extraction, followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with on‐line tandem mass spectrometry using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (LC/APCI‐MS/MS). The extraction of these compounds from filtered water samples was performed off‐line with C18 solid‐phase cartridges. The detection was achieved by isocratic reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with an heated nebulizer (HN) APCI interface operating in negative ion mode. Mean recovery of the analytes in STP effluent samples generally exceeded 81%. This method was used to determine the occurrence of target analytes in the aquatic environment. In the selected STP effluent samples, zearalenone and α‐zearalenol were detected in the ng/L range. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.