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Analysis of phenolic compounds in the dissolved and suspended phases of Lake Balaton water by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

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Abstract

As a novel approach to characterize the phenolic pollutants of Lake Balaton (Central Europe, western Hungary), 26 endocrine disrupting phenols (chlorophenols, nitrophenols, alkylphenols, triclosan, bisphenol-A) were quantified in dissolved and suspended particulate matter (SPM) phases, alike. Sample collection was performed in the western and eastern basins, at 20 sites in April and October 2014. Solid-phase and ultrasound-assisted extractions to withdraw target phenols from dissolved and suspended phases were employed. Compounds were derivatized with hexamethyldisilazane and trifluoroacetic acid for their quantification as trimethylsilyl derivatives by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In Lake Balaton’s dissolved phase, 2-chlorophenol (103–164 ng/L), 4-chlorophenol (407–888 ng/L), 2,4-dichlorophenol (20.2–72.0 ng/L), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (10.4–38.1 ng/L), 2-nitrophenol (31.0–66.5 ng/L), 4-nitrophenol (31.5–94.1 ng/L), and bisphenol-A (20.6–112 ng/L), while in its SPM, 4-chlorophenol (<LOQ-1274 μg/kg, dry matter), 4-nitrophenol (423–714 μg/kg), 4-nonylphenol isomers (1500–2910 μg/kg), and bisphenol-A (250–587 μg/kg) were determined. Since phenolics appear partially or exclusively in the SPM, the analysis of both phases proved to be of primary importance.

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Acknowledgments

The study was financed by the Balaton-monitoring program of the HAS, the TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0038, and TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0064.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, L. Eötvös University, 1518, Budapest 112, P.O. Box 32, Hungary

    T. Faludi & I. Molnár-Perl

  2. Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 8237, Tihany, Hungary

    C. Balogh & Z. Serfőző

Authors
  1. T. Faludi
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  2. C. Balogh
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  3. Z. Serfőző
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  4. I. Molnár-Perl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Molnár-Perl.

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Responsible editor: Roland Kallenborn

Highlights

• Lake Balaton’s phenolics, dissolved and suspended, alike were analyzed by GC-MS-MS.

• Solid-phase and ultrasonic enrichments were utilized for the extraction of compounds.

• Out of 26, in total 8 species were found in the dissolved and suspended phases.

• Spatial and seasonal concentration changes were noted during sampling campaigns.

• Complementary analysis of pollutants in both phases proved to be obligatory.

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Faludi, T., Balogh, C., Serfőző, Z. et al. Analysis of phenolic compounds in the dissolved and suspended phases of Lake Balaton water by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 11966–11974 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4734-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4734-x

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