Determination of nine environmental phenols in urine by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method was developed to determine nine environmental phenols, including bisphenol A, 2,3,4-trichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxyphenylether), 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, 4-n-nolyphenol and benzophenone-3 (2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone) in human urine using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS-MS). The analytes were extracted and preconcentrated with solid-phase extraction, and then quantified with UPLC-electrospray ionization (negative ion mode)-MS-MS using multiple reaction monitoring mode. Limits of detection of the nine phenols ranged from 0.02 to 0.90 ng/mL. This method was further validated by the determination of phenols in 325 human urine samples that generated data regarding the exposure of various phenols to Chinese adults without occupational exposure to phenols.