Papers by Antoinette Reid
Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 2007
To determine the levels of known endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and alkylpheno... more To determine the levels of known endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and alkylphenols in environmental samples such as leachate water and sediment, suitable isocratic high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) methods utilising a narrow bore column were developed. The study was an analytical challenge in terms of developing a method, which would be sensitive enough to detect trace levels of these compounds, while still retaining the advantages of being suitable for relatively inexpensive instrumentation and featuring reasonable throughput. Generally speaking, when the internal diameter of the HPLC column is decreased by a factor of two, the signal of a sample component increases by a factor of four, the square of the change in diameter. However, combining a narrower bore column along with the isocratic method enabled us to see 20-fold increases in peak signal. The detection of these compounds was further improved by using pre-concentrating techniques known as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Limits of detection in the ng/l range were reached for target analytes. Maximum values (g l-1) of 7.05 dibutyl phthalate (DBP), 7.37 diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), 5.56 diisononyl phthalate (DINP), 1.19 diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and 6.16 4-nonylphenol (NP) were found in sampled leachates, whilst maximum values (mg kg-1) of 42.3 DBP, 49.8 DEHP, 36.2 DINP, 20.0 DIDP and 1.14 NP were found in sediments. Concentrated leachate contained up to 226 g l-1 DEHP. The highest levels of NP were found to leach from an unlined landfill, with concentrations of 10.6 g l-1. The levels, which were quantified in the Irish midlands, are clearly linked to anthropogenic activity and were comparable to levels found in other pan-European studies.
The application of an acid digestion and subsequent solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure were i... more The application of an acid digestion and subsequent solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure were implemented as preliminary treatments prior to quantifying the levels of potentially endocrine disrupting metals (EDMs) in a variety of solid and liquid matrices. These included (solid) river sediment, leachate sediment and sewage sludge and also (liquid) river water, landfill leachate, concentrated leachate, sewage influent, and sewage effluent, sampled in the Irish Midlands. The total concentrations of cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), after extraction and preconcentration, were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Mercury (Hg) in sediment and sludge was determined using cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). For sewage sludge maximum values (mg/kg dw) of 4700 Ni,
International Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2009
The application of an acid digestion and subsequent solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure were i... more The application of an acid digestion and subsequent solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure were implemented as preliminary treatments prior to quantifying the levels of potentially endocrine disrupting metals (EDMs) in a variety of solid and liquid matrices. These included (solid) river sediment, leachate sediment and sewage sludge and also (liquid) river water, landfill leachate, concentrated leachate, sewage influent, and sewage effluent, sampled in the Irish Midlands. The total concentrations of cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), after extraction and preconcentration, were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Mercury (Hg) in sediment and sludge was determined using cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). For sewage sludge maximum values (mg/kg dw) of 4700 Ni,
International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2007
A study of common laboratory equipment and components was performed in order to identify sources ... more A study of common laboratory equipment and components was performed in order to identify sources of contamination of phthalates prior to testing environmental samples for such compounds. A screening study revealed significant leaching from plastic syringes, pipette tips released maximum leachings of 0.36 g cm-2 diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and 0.86 g cm-2 diisononyl phthalate (DINP), plastic filter holders produced maximum leachings of 2.49 g cm-2 dibutyl phthalate (DBP) from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), 0.61g cm-2 DBP from regenerated cellulose and 5.85 g cm-2 dimethyl phthalate (DMP) from cellulose acetate and Parafilm leaching levels up to 0.50 g cm-2 DEHP. In addition, a high temperature bake-out process was found necessary to eliminate quite high levels of two phthalates present in a commercial bulking agent for pressurised liquid extraction (PLE).
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2010
The estrogenic potential of sewage treatment effluents and their receiving waters in the Shannon ... more The estrogenic potential of sewage treatment effluents and their receiving waters in the Shannon International River Basin District (SIRBD) of Ireland was investigated. An integrated approach, combining biological and chemical methods, was conducted to assess 11 rivers adjacent to sewage treatment plants (STPs) and their possible interference with the endocrine system of feral brown trout (Salmo trutta). Hepatosomatic index, gonadosomatic index, condition factor, histological (intersexuality) and endocrine (vitellogenin induction) parameters were assessed in a sample size of 10 at each location. The estrogenic burden was determined using an in vitro recombinant yeast assay containing the human estrogen receptor (YES assay). In addition, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were quantitatively identified through a selection of pre-concentration techniques combined with chromatographic analysis at or near the selected locations. Chemical analysis of representative site samples identified phthalates and an alkylphenol in water and sediments in μg/L and mg/kg concentrations, respectively. There were no significant difference in somatic indices or the condition factor between upstream control and downstream test sites, and there was no evidence of reproductive alterations or the presence of intersex in studied male brown trout. However, raised vitellogenin (vtg) levels were detected in the blood plasma samples of male brown trout at 8 of the 11 sites. Significant levels were reported at 3 of the positive sites (p ≤ 0.05). In one particular location, vtg induction was observed in 100% of the male brown trout sampled downstream. These findings were supported by the YES assay, where estrogenic activity was detected in the same upstream and downstream sites giving 17β-estradiol equivalency factor (EEF) values of up to 2.67 ng/L. This study represents an integrated assessment approach, confirming the presence of estrogens in rivers of the SIRBD of Ireland, thus suggesting a cause-effect relationship to prolonged EDC-exposure in fish.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2009
Enrichment techniques have become an important feature in the trace analysis of oestrogen mimicki... more Enrichment techniques have become an important feature in the trace analysis of oestrogen mimicking chemicals in the environment. Recent developments such as accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) have improved extraction recoveries in a wide variety of solid matrices including sediments, sludges and leachate soils. Such samples taken from the Irish Midlands Shannon Catchment region during the winter of 2004/5 and suspected to contain certain xenooestrogens or hormonally active agents were extracted using this technique, which was then coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantification purposes. ASE was thus employed to both isolate and pre-concentrate targeted analytes using the minimum amount of solvent hence making extractions more conservational. Two simple, yet extremely sensitive liquid chromatographic methods were developed based on UV detection; one for phthalates and one for alkylphenols, with recoveries reaching up to 92.0%. Acid digestion was used for the extraction of the tin and organotin compounds with analysis by polarography. In river sediment, levels of up to 24.4 mg kg(-1) phthalate, 1.14 mg kg(-1) 4-nonylphenol and 118 mg kg(-1) tin were found. In leachate sediments, values up to 49.8 mg kg(-1) phthalate, 1.57 mg kg(-1) 4-nonylphenol, and 36.0 mg kg(-1) tin were determined. In sludge, values up to 174 mg kg(-1) phthalate and 22.8 mg kg(-1) 4-nonylphenol were quantified. The highest value of tin (118 mg kg(-1)) was found present in an area of high leisure craft activity. Typical sediment levels of tin at other river locations ranged between 1.20 and 37.5 mg kg(-1).
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Papers by Antoinette Reid