Estrogen plays an important role in the human body, but excess concentrations of endogenous estrogens, a known endocrine disrupting compound (EDC), in urine have been linked to the development and growth of breast cancer and tumors in females. Endogenous estrogens, including estrone (E1), 17ß-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), have also been detected in environmental matrices such as surface, waste and drinking water, even after extensive removal treatments. The accurate and efficient quantification of estrogen in both urine and water is paramount to ensuring the health of humans and animals in impacted ecosystems.
This application note details a method for the analysis of three endogenous estrogens at low ng/L (ppt) levels in both urine and water matrices. The method presented utilizes a PerkinElmer QSight® 420 triple quadrupole LC/MS/MS, and demonstrates good linearity, precision and accuracy, without the need for derivatization and concentration with SPE.