Selection of Extraction Method for the Estimation of the Bioaccumulation Factor of 4-N-Nonylphenol and 4-Tert-Octylphenol in an Aquatic System

Abstract

A few extraction methods for the reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) determination of alkylphenolic compounds in fish tissues were examined. The best results of the isolation of 4-nonylphenol (4-n-NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP) from Rainbow trout were obtained using soxhlet extraction; the recoveries reached 64.64 ± 7.26% and 65.26 ± 5.29%, respectively. The subsequent solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup process of fish extract was optimized using four different sorbents and the highest recoveries of the analytes were obtained for aminopropyl silica cartridges. Their biological concentration factors (BCF) expressing the ratio between the concentration in Rainbow trout and in water were determined for two temperatures, 15 and 20°C.

Keywords:

• 4-n-Nonylphenol
• 4-tert-Octylphenol
• Endocrine disruptor
• Liquid chromatography
• Sample preparation

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was financially supported by a grant (project No. R05 037 03) from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Warsaw, Poland).