Assessment of the presence of synthetic hormones in stranded cetaceans

Abstract

The analysis of synthetic steroid hormones within cetaceans, offers a valuable information for evaluating the presence of contaminants in the ocean food chain. In this regard, blubber samples have been identified as a suitable matrix for this type of analysis. This article present a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) extraction procedure combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry UHPLC-MS/MS analysis to determine the presence of synthetic steroids (1 androgen, 3 progestins and 2 corticosteroids) in blubber samples obtained from stranded cetacean. The tested methodology showed remarkable precision and recoveries ranging between 70 and 120% for most of the target compounds. Notably, all targeted compounds were detected in all samples, with megestrol acetate quantified in one of these. These results suggest that the potential of the methodology for the assessment of the presence of steroid hormones in cetacean tissue samples, contributing to a better understanding of the impact of these compounds on cetacean health and conservation