Inter-laboratory exercise on steroid estrogens in aqueous samples

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) pose risks in urban water cycles.
• Accurate measurement of EDCs is crucial for environmental and public health protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate laboratory performance in quantifying steroid estrogens.
• To compare analytical methods for EDC detection in diverse water matrices.

Main Methods:

• Inter-laboratory comparison exercise involving European laboratories.
• Determination of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, 17beta-estradiol, and estrone.
• Analysis of spiked tap water, river water, and wastewater using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS.

Main Results:

• High competence observed among participating laboratories for steroid estrogen detection.
• Both Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) showed reliable performance.
• Analytical accuracy and reproducibility were assessed across different water matrices.

Conclusions:

• GC-MS and LC-MS/MS are equally suitable for analyzing natural and synthetic hormones in water.
• The exercise confirmed the capability of laboratories to accurately measure EDCs.
• Standardized methods are effective for monitoring endocrine disruptors in the urban water cycle.