Voltammetric Determination of the Total Content of the Most Commonly Occurring Estrogens in Water Media

Abstract

Estrogens in aquatic environments pose significant ecological and health risks due to their cumulative effects rather than individual impacts. This study investigates the voltammetric behavior of estrone (E1), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), presenting a cost-effective and straightforward method for their simultaneous determination. Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with a boron-doped diamond electrode, the method demonstrates high precision (deviations under 4%) and a linear dynamic range of 15.35-134.55 mu mol<middle dot>L-1. Integration of a vacuum evaporation step reduced detection limits to 10-8 mol<middle dot>L-1, enabling effective analysis of real water samples. This optimized approach ensures practical applicability for monitoring total estrogen content in aquatic systems, providing an accessible and reliable alternative to conventional methods.