Thermo Fisher Scientific Introduces Kit to Simplify Detection and Analysis of Hormones in Water

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has introduced the Thermo Scientific Hormones Application Kit, a complete package designed to simplify the detection and analysis of hormone contaminants in ground water and drinking water samples using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

This application kit is designed to streamline and accelerate sample preparation, handling and analysis using a verified protocol for EPA Method 539, “Determination of Hormones in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).” Thermo Fisher application chemists experienced substantial productivity gains using the new kits to comply with EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3, where public water systems are monitored for 30 contaminants. The Hormones Application Kit is designed for use with the Thermo Scientific TSQ series triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS system with UltiMate 3000 series LC.

“We developed these kits to reduce a major pain point for chemists -- time-consuming and costly method development,” said Dipankar Ghosh, Thermo Fisher marketing director, environment and food safety. “Many of our customers are looking at multiple residues from different classes of compounds, and method development is often very challenging.”

In recent years, pharmaceutical compounds and estrogen have been detected in environmental water and drinking water in many locations around the world, according to an Associated Press investigation of drinking water in 24 major U.S metropolitan areas and numerous other studies. The effects of these highly active compounds on wildlife and humans have been a concern to a wide range of environmental scientists and biologists.

The starter Thermo Scientific Hormones Application Kit contains a Thermo Scientific Accucore HPLC column, solid phase extraction disks, MS-Certified vials, a detailed application protocol and Thermo Scientific TraceFinder software method files, which can be uploaded into the instrument software. Customers can purchase the kit bundled with a Thermo Scientific LC-MS/MS system, or as a standalone item.