In this study we have developed a sensitive and reliable analytical
method for the successful determination and quantification of MeP,
EtP, PrP and BuP in human tissue sample using GC–MS. The method
involves tissue extraction with acetone:n-hexane mixture, silica gel
cleanup and complete derivatization using 20 μL of MSTFA at 70 °C for
30 min. This method is very attractive for routine applications because
it is acceptably reproducible (RSD: 4.6–15.6%), linear (R2: 0.996–0.998
for 50–300 ng mL−1 levels) and sensitive (i.e., with low LOD 1.05–
3.75 ng g−1 wet wt.). This method can be used for large scale
screening of cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissues for the
presence of suspected paraben preservative residues of personal care
products/food commodities. In addition, it can be applied for the
determination of parabens in organisms used in monitoring studies, to
know the occurrence and fate of parabens in the environment, and to
generate systematic data on ecotoxicological risk assessment of
PPCPs.