Development and optimisation of an on-line solid phase extraction coupled to ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry methodology for the simultaneous determination of endocrine disrupting compounds in wastewater samples

A process using a fully automated on-line solid-phase extraction system combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry detection (SPE-UHPLC–MS/MS) has been developed and applied to the determination of 27 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in sewage samples. This technology allows separation and detection of all substances in a single chromatographic run that requires less than 4 min. In order to obtain a more sensitive method for the quantification of these compounds in sewage samples, an on-line solid-phase extraction step with Oasis HLB columns was performed prior to chromatographic determination. The complete analysis of each sample by this process requires only 9 min, provides satisfactory recoveries (72–110%) and limits of detection on the order of a few nanograms per liter (0.3–2.1 ng L−1), demonstrating their potential for analyses of environmental samples. Thus, this methodology has been applied to samples collected from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). One of these plants utilised conventional activated sludge treatment (CAS), while the other employed biomembrane reactor treatment (MBR).