Determination of contaminants in urine: bisphenols, phthalates, and other chemical substances and their relationship with human health

Abstract

The so-called emerging contaminants, which have gained prominence in recent years, are linked to personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and plasticizers, among others. These substances represent potential risks to human health due to their widespread presence in the environment and their ability to enter the human body through various exposure routes. Bisphenols (BPs) and phthalates have received significant attention due to their toxicity and ubiquity in consumer products. Even at low concentrations, they can have adverse effects on health, making essential their comprehensive analysis and regulation. Human biomonitoring studies play a fundamental role in assessing contamination by contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in populations, particularly through the analysis of urine samples. Urine is preferred for its large sample volume, non-invasiveness, and ease of collection. In this work, we examined the presence and concentration of 36 chemical substances in urine samples from 40 pregnant women from Barcelona, obtained following ethical guidelines and respecting data protection. LC-MS/MS analysis was performed using a UHPLC Sciex Exion system connected to a Sciex 6500+ triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer from Sciex (Washington, DC, USA). The mass spectrometer was equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and operated in both positive and negative modes within the same run. An exhaustive method validation process was conducted, including extraction recoveries, precision, limits of quantification (LOQs), limits of detection (LODs), and matrix effects, for 3 compounds. Seventy-six per cent of the target analytes successfully passed the validation standards demanded. Semi-quantification was used for some compounds due to matrix complexity, setting the minimum amount of these compounds expected to be in the samples. Strategies to mitigate ionization suppression were discussed, highlighting the need for optimization in sample preparation and analytical protocols to ensure result accuracy. This study provides insights into emerging contamination in humans, shedding light on potential health risks associated with these pollutants.