Sensitive and specific post-column fluorimetric determination of diethylstilboestrol residues in extracts of urine and animal tissues at the 1-ppb level.

A rapid method for the selective detection and quantitation of diethylstilboestrol (DES) residues at the 1 ppb level in extracts of urine and animal tissues is described. After selective extraction of the oestrogens, DES is analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography using an in-line specific photochemical reactor followed by oxidation to highly fluorescent products. The reaction products of DES were investigated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The specificity of the proposed method was compared with that of a reference TLC method on different extracts of animal origin.