Design and implementation of an imprinted material for the extraction of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A from milk

Abstract

This paper describes the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in milk samples, using a novel molecularly imprinted polymer. The imprinted polymer was developed using a rational design approach, and pre-polymerization interactions were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and X-ray crystallography. A hydroquinone-imprinted polymer was used for solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up of samples. BPA was quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fluorescence (FLD) detection. Following validation, the method described was capable of determining bisphenol A in milk down to a limit of detection of 1.32μgkg(-1). The method was applied to a survey (n=27) of commercial milk products; BPA was detected in one of the samples, at a level of 176μgkg(-1). Test results were confirmed by a parallel UHPLC-MS/MS analytical method. This demonstrates the utility of the hydroquinone-imprinted polymer for application to selective sample clean-up and analysis of bisphenol A in milk, avoiding possible detrimental affects associated with template bleeding and without the need for expensive or difficult-to-obtain template.