A new sample preparation method for the determination of five benzophenone UV-filters in human breast milk has been developed. The procedure involves the lyophilization of the sample, and its subsequent extraction by ultrasound sonication using acetonitrile. In order to reduce matrix effects produced by milk components that are coextracted, mainly proteins, sugars and lipids, a further clean-up step with a mixture of dispersive-SPE sorbents, C18 and PSA, was applied. Extraction parameters were optimized using experimental design, and the compounds were detected and quantified by ultrahigh performance liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) in positive ESI mode. Analytes were separated in 10 min. BP-d10 was used as internal standard. The limits of detection (LODs) were between 0.1 and 0.2 ng mL(-1), and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 0.3 and 0.6 ng mL(-1) for the target analytes. The inter- and intra-day variability was <12%. The method was validated using matrix-matched calibration and recovery assays with spiked samples. Recovery rates were between 90.9 and 109.5%. The method was successfully applied for the determination of these compounds in human milk samples collected from volunteers lactating mothers with no known occupational exposure to these compounds who live in the province of Granada (Spain). The analytical method developed here may be useful for the development of more in-depth studies on the prenatal exposure and biomonitoring of these commonly used UV-filters.
Keywords: Benzophenone-UV filters; Human breast milk analysis; Sorbent materials; UHPLC–MS/MS; Ultrasound-assisted extraction.
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