Development and validation of a capillary high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometric method for the quantification of bisphenol A in air samples.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic industrial chemical that affects the endocrine system even at low concentrations. A new method, based on capillary high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) analysis, has been developed to determine BPA in atmospheric samples. The method involves collection of air samples (typically 2 m(3)) on glass fiber filters, with ultrasonic extraction and sample concentration under vacuum before analysis. HPLC analysis was performed isocratically at a flow rate of 10 microL min(-1) using a capillary reversed-phase column and MS/MS analysis in negative ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, using BPA-d(16) as internal standard. The present method provides linear response in the range 0.007-3.5 microg/filter (R(2) > 0.999) and is characterized by high accuracy (mean bias 2%) and good reproducibility (mean RSD 5%). High sensitivity (LOD = 2 ng/m(3) based on 2 m(3) of air collected), specificity, and speed of the analysis make the present method suitable for routine determination of BPA in the atmosphere, both for ambient and personnel monitoring.