Simultaneous and rapid determination of triclosan, triclocarban and their four related transformation products in water samples using SPME-HPLC-DAD

This study describes a simple, rapid, and green method for the reliable quantification of antibacterial compounds in personal care products in aqueous samples. Water samples were extracted by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME), and the chemicals of interest were detected and quantified using a high performance liquid chromatography/diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) coupled using a homemade interface. Parameters that affect extraction efficiencies of SPME were optimized, including the salt concentration, the sample pH, the extraction and desorption times, and the sample volume. The optimized method provided a simple and rapid (<1hr) sample pretreatment that gave satisfactory sensitivities, accuracies, and precisions. The method detection limit (MDL) of target compounds in 5mL sample volumes spiked with analytes was as low as 0.060.21ng/mL for deionized water samples, and 0.120.73ng/mL for river water samples. Recoveries for spiked samples ranged from 84.62 to 100.80% and 81.54 to 102.32% for the deionized water and river water samples, respectively. This is the first description of an analytical procedure that enables reliable and simultaneous detection and quantification of up to six antibacterial compounds and their derivatives in water, despite the complexity present in the samples.