Determination of Estrone and 17β-Estradiol in Human Hair by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

The study described an efficient method for determining estrone and 17β-estradiol in human hair using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The process involved alkyloxycarbonylation of phenolic hydroxy groups and subsequent derivatization to protect alcoholic hydroxy groups. The method achieved detection limits of 1 and 2 pg for estrone and 17β-estradiol, respectively, with linear SIM responses and high correlation coefficients (0.991 to 0.994) in the concentration range of 0.2-4.0 ng g-1. The study found that the concentrations of these estrogens varied between male and female hair samples, detectable in the range of 0.24-1.30 ng g-1.