Preparation and application of a novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for simultaneous and rapid determination of three trace endocrine disrupting chemicals in lake water and milk samples

Exposure to endocrine disruptor substances will alter the function of the endocrine system and then cause adverse effects on human health. Among these endocrine disrupting chemicals, hexestrol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol A are most commonly used worldwide. In this study, we aim to develop a simple, rapid, and efficient analytical method for the simultaneous determination of trace hexestrol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol A in lake water and milk samples. A magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer-assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction technique was applied. The magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared and characterized by electron scanning microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Subsequently, different experiments were conducted to optimize the magnetic solid-phase extraction conditions. High-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection was employed to determine hexestrol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol A. Limits of detection of the developed method were from 0.1 to 0.3 μg L−1 and spiked recoveries ranged from 89.9 to 102.5%, with a relative standard deviation of < 2.5% (intraday). Results obtained from this study showed that the proposed magnetic solid-phase extraction method was a simple, rapid, and sensitive sample pre-treatment method for the determination of trace hexestrol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol in different aqueous samples.