Validation of a method for quantification of bisphenols and phthalate metabolites in post-mortem human brain tissue

The cost-effectiveness and versatility of plastics have made them ubiquitous, leading to widespread human exposure to plastic associated chemicals like phthalates and bisphenols. While these chemicals are linked to adverse health effects, including hormonal and neurobehavioral, their bioavailability to the brain remains poorly understood. Thus, quantifying these chemicals in brain tissue is essential to assess blood-brain barrier permeation and support animal research. To address this, a novel method was developed to quantify 14 phthalate metabolites and 7 bisphenols using a modified QuEChERS extraction with a hexane clean-up for lipid removal and quantification on LC-MS/MS. The method detection limits for phthalate metabolites ranged from 0.02 ng/g to 0.8 ng/g of brain, while bisphenol detection limits varied between 0.02 ng/g and 2 ng/g. By successfully quantifying these contaminants in brain tissue the method delivers a highly sensitive way to assess blood-brain barrier permeation, measure cerebral exposure and contribute to animal studies of exposure to plastic associated chemicals.