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Enantiomers of 41,1,2trimethylhexylphenol, a chiral isomer of the endocrine disrupting chemical nonylphenol, have been resolved and isolated by preparative chiral HPLC. The absolute configurations of the enantiomers were then determined by an Xray crystallographic study of the −camphanoyl derivative of the first eluted enantiomer NP35E1. The first enantiomer NP35E1 and the second enantiomer NP35E2 eluted were found to have the Sand Rabsolute configurations, respectively. The estrogenic potencies of the Sand Renantiomers were tested by the Escreen assay. A slight difference was observed in the relative proliferative effect between the Senantiomer and Renantiomer in the Escreen assay. Chirality, 2009. © 2008 WileyLiss, Inc.

A multimethod based on liquid–liquid extraction and solid–liquid extraction for the analysis of persistent organic pollutants in water and sludge from sewage treatment plants has been established. Traces of 22 organic compounds used in industry and personal care products (PCPs) were analyzed by GC/MS. The LODs for the analytes were less than 2.3 ng/L for wastewater and 31 μg/kg (dry weight matter) for sewage sludge. Satisfactory recoveries (70–130%) were achieved. The validated method permits the analysis of water and sludge samples at various stages of the treatment from different sewage treatment plants. Thus, the distribution between water and sludge as well as the dissipation of the compounds analyzed were balanced. By this means, the efficiency of different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be evaluated and measures can be taken to optimize the treatment process at different stages.

An analytical method is presented which permits trace level determination of 17α‐ethynylestradiol (EE2), 17β‐estradiol (E2), and estrone (E1). Using this method, the estrogenic steroids were analyzed in drinking water, surface water, and wastewater (sewage influents and effluents) at concentrations down to 0.1 ng/L. Sample volumes between 100 and 500 mL are concentrated using automated solid‐phase extraction. Analysis is performed by liquid chromatography with detection by tandem mass spectrometry. Applying simple clean‐up procedures and internal standard calibration, recovery losses resulting from matrix‐dependent ion suppression during electrospray ionization could be compensated for all of the investigated compounds. Recoveries around 100% were obtained for all analytes after correction using the internal standards. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were between 0.1 and 0.4 ng/L for purified sewage, surface, ground, and drinking water and between 1 and 2 ng/L in the case of raw sewage. Water treatment by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or by a surface water treatment plant affected the removal of all estrogenic steroids. Thus, E1, E2, and EE2 were removed in the municipal WWTPs to the extent of 93%, 93%, and 80%, respectively. In the effluents of the WWTP in Ruhleben (Berlin, Germany), E1, E2, and EE2 were detected at the low ng/L level. E2 and EE2 were, however, not present in the Berlin surface water above the LOQ (0.2 ng/L). E1 was the only compound that could be detected in surface water samples. After additional surface water treatment it was still detectable but only at trace‐level concentrations with a mean value of 0.16 ng/L.