Identification of explanatory factors of the presence and quantification of endocrine disruptors in commercially available bottled waters

To identify the factors that influence the presence and quantification of endocrine disruptors (EDs) in bottled water marketed in Bogotá, the packaging (plastic or glass), gas (sparkling or still water) and origin (international or Colombian) of the water were considered. EDs were divided into plasticizers, drugs and hormones and were quantitatively determined via gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Principal component and multiple correspondence analyses, the Wilcoxon and Kruskal–Wallis tests, average mutual information and tree-based models were used to identify the factors that affected the ED concentrations. Phthalates, drugs, hormones and synthetic compounds were detected, including 4-tert-octylphenol, acetaminophen, caffeine, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, triclosan, bisphenol A, primidone, carbamazepine and progesterone. Factors such as glass packaging and sparkling water increased the detection and presence of EDs. Fourteen of the 16 identified compounds were detected if the water was bottled in glass; the exceptions were caffeine and acetaminophen. Furthermore, bottled water of international origin had higher concentrations of most EDs than Colombian bottled water. The statistical approaches used are an innovative predictive method for analysing ED concentrations and classifying factors closely correlated with the presence of these compounds.