Determination of natural and synthetic glucocorticoids in effluent of sewage treatment plants using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and comprehensive analytical method for glucocorticoids (GCs) in water samples was developed and applied to effluent of sewage treatment plants (STPs). In the present study, totally 10 natural and synthetic GCs, including cortisol, betamethasone valerate, clobetasol propionate, clobetasone butyrate, difluprednate, betamethasone, dexamethasone, betamethasone dipropionate, methylprednisolone, and prednisolone, were targeted. Analytes were extracted and concentrated using an OASIS HLB solid phase extraction cartridge. Chromatographic separation and quantification were achieved using an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS). Method detection limits were 0.05 to 0.89 ng/L, which were 1-2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than in the previous reports. Cortisol was detected in more than half of (27 out of 50) analyzed effluent samples at concentrations in the range of ND-1.36 ng/L, indicating continuous discharge of natural GC via STP effluent. On the other hand, dexamethasone + betamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone valerate, and clobetasol propionate were detected in 25, 8, 20, and 9 samples among 50 effluent samples, respectively, suggesting not extreme but significant administration of synthetic GCs.