Distribution and Estrogenic Risk of Alkylphenolic Compounds, Hormones and Drugs Contained in Water and Natural Surface Sediments, Morelos, Mexico
, Hugo Saldarriaga-Noreña 1,*, Mario Alfonso Murillo-Tovar 1,2, Laura Alvarez 1, Josefina Vergara-Sánchez 3, Victor Barba 1 and Jorge Antonio Guerrero-Alvarez 1Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors report the analytical method of contaminants in water and sediment samples. Using the method, occurrence and environmental effect were evaluated. The manuscript was well written and deserves attention. However, there are a few points should be explained before published in Separations.
- In the Figure 2, unknown peaks were detected. Especially, it seems that the unknown peak near BPA peak might interfere exact quantitative analysis because of overlap.
- The extraction recovery values were diverse. Were the recovery values used for real sample analysis?
- In the table 2, what is the meaning of repeatability and reproducibility? Only duplicate is enough for statistical analysis?
- Table 7 is missing the title.
- In the conclusion, more explanation is required to support the first sentence.
Author Response
Dear reviewer thank you very much for your comments. Thank you very much for your comments, below I answer each of your concerns.
The authors report the analytical method of contaminants in water and sediment samples. Using the method, occurrence and environmental effect were evaluated. The manuscript was well written and deserves attention. However, there are a few points should be explained before published in Separations.
- In the Figure 2, unknown peaks were detected. Especially, it seems that the unknown peak near BPA peak might interfere exact quantitative analysis because of overlap
Answer: Figure 2 was enlarged (page 7), no overlap is observed, however the identification was not only made with the retention time, the identification was complemented with the monitoring of the quantification and confirmation ions (Table 1)
2. The extraction recovery values were diverse. Were the recovery values used for real sample analysis?
Answer: Indeed, the recovery percentages obtained in each matrix were used to calculate the concentration of the compounds detected in the real simples (Line 231-232).
3. In the table 2 (now table 3), what is the meaning of repeatability and reproducibility? Only duplicate is enough for statistical analysis?
Answer: In paragraph 2.3.3 it was explained how and for what repeatability and reproducibility were calculated (Lines 118-130). Mathematically an average can be carried out with only two data, of course taking into account that there is not much dispersion between the two observations, and this is confirmed in table 3, where repeatability and reproducibility are reported in terms of the standard deviation. relative, and in all cases it is observed that all RSD values are below 20%, which is acceptable for this class of matrices
4. Table 7 is missing the title.
Answer: The table title was added
5. In the conclusion, more explanation is required to support the first sentence.
Answer: The conclusions were rearranged
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
I have a few comments about the appearance of the work - please check carefully the figures (they are illegible), the table headings (they are offset from the page), the tables themselves (the content) and the individual words (some words are spelled incorrectly - e.g. "repetibility", table 2.
What does "promedio" mean, table 3.
What does the abbreviation LDD mean?
Table 6 lacks pH and temperature values at all measuring points - is it reasonable to include these fields in the table? Based on the data presented, it is not possible to talk about any correlation - data is missing. I suggest showing in the form of a graph that this correlation occurs, the table is completely unreadable.
There is also lack in case reference 47 - there is only number. I suppose, that it is obvious mistake.
Author Response
Dear reviewer thank you very much for your comments. Thank you very much for your comments, below I answer each of your concerns.
I have a few comments about the appearance of the work - please check carefully the figures (they are illegible), the table headings (they are offset from the page), the tables themselves (the content) and the individual words (some words are spelled incorrectly - e.g. "repetibility", table 2.
Answer: The resolution of the figures was improved, the term repeatability in table 2, was corrected
What does "promedio" mean, table 3.
Answer: The error was corrected in table 3
What does the abbreviation LDD mean?
Answer: The error was corrected, the correct term is LOD, what does it mean below the limit of detection (line 21)
Table 6 lacks pH and temperature values at all measuring points - is it reasonable to include these fields in the table? Based on the data presented, it is not possible to talk about any correlation - data is missing. I suggest showing in the form of a graph that this correlation occurs, the table is completely unreadable.
Answer: The pH and temperature variables were eliminated from the table
There is also lack in case reference 47 - there is only number. I suppose, that it is obvious mistake.
Answer: Indeed the reference 47 does not exist, the number was deleted in the list of references
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
