Vol.:(0123456789) Environmental Science and Pollution Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32321-1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Quantifcation of parabens in marine fsh samples by a rapid, simple, efective sample preparation method Phuong Thi Pham 1,2  · Thuy Cam Quan 3  · Quynh Thi Le 2  · Minh Quang Bui 4  · Anh Hoang Tran 2  · Anh‑Tuyet Thi Phung 1  · Anh Quoc Hoang 2  · Tu Binh Minh 2  · Thanh‑Thien Tran‑Lam 5,6  · Hai Nguyen Tran 7,8  · Tri Manh Tran 2 Received: 3 November 2023 / Accepted: 30 January 2024 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024 Abstract Parabens (p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters) commonly used preservatives (in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods) can pose potential efects on environmental health. In this study, seven parabens were quantifed in marine fsh samples using an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) system. Parabens in the fsh samples were extracted and purifed by a rapid, simple, and efective procedure comprising sample homogenization with solvent, solid-phase extraction clean-up, and solvent evaporation. Results demonstrated that the recoveries of seven compounds (with relative standard deviation < 15%) were 88–103% in matrix-spike samples and 86–105% in surrogate standards. The method detection limits and method quantifcation limits of seven parabens were 0.015–0.030 and 0.045–0.090 ng/g-ww (wet weight), respectively. The optimized method was applied to measure the concentration of parabens in the 37 marine fsh samples collected from Vietnam coastal waters. The concentration ranges of seven parabens found in round scad and greater lizardfsh samples were 6.82–25.3 ng/g ww and 6.21–17.2 ng/g-ww, respectively. Among parabens, methylparaben accounted for the highest contribution in both fsh species (43.2 and 44.9%, respectively). Based on the measured concentrations of parabens in marine fsh samples, the estimated daily intake was calculated for children and adults with the corresponding values of 0.0477 µg/kg/day and 0.0119 µg/kg/day, respectively. However, the presence of parabens in Vietnamese marine fsh may not pose a signifcant risk to human health. Keywords Parabens · Marine fsh · Bioaccumulation · UHPLC-MS/MS · QuEChERS Responsible Editor: Ester Heath * Tri Manh Tran manhtri0908@gmail.com 1 Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam 2 Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam 3 Viet Tri University of Industry, 9 Tien Son, Tien Cat, Viet Tri, Phu Tho 75000, Vietnam 4 Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam 5 Graduate University of Science and Technology (GUST), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam 6 Institute of Mechanics and Applied Informatics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 291 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam 7 Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam 8 Faculty of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang City 550000, Vietnam Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.