Focused microwave assistance for extracting some pesticide residues from strawberries into water before their determination by SPME/HPLC/DAD.

A novel and simple method for the determination of some pesticide residues in strawberries using both focused microwave-assisted extraction (FMAE) and solid-phase micro extraction (SPME), coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), has been developed. The pesticides were first extracted from strawberries with water and the assistance of focused microwaves at 30 W for 7 min. Then, an aliquot of the resulting aqueous extract was subjected to SPME with a 60-microm thick poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber for 45 min at room temperature, with the solution being stirred at 1000 rpm. The extracted pesticides on the SPME fiber were desorbed into the SPME/HPLC interface for quantitative analysis with a diode array detector (DAD). The whole sample pretreatment procedure before chromatographic analysis did not use any organic solvents or involve any blending or centrifugation steps. The five compounds (carbendazim, diethofencarb, azoxystrobine, napropamide, and bupirimate) were chosen because they cannot be analyzed easily by GC. The efficiency of this relatively fast procedure was comparable to that of previously reported methods, with detection limits at low microg/kg levels and linear responses in the range from 0.05 to 1 mg/kg of pesticide in strawberries, with RSDs between 3 and 7.3%, depending on the analyte. In all but one case results obtained by this method for field-incurred samples were comparable to those obtained with traditional methods.     

QuEChERS提取法在农产品农药残留检测中的应用进展

食品中的农药残留检测长期以来一直是一项艰巨的挑战,其杂质干扰多,残留含量低,传统的提取方法常常因为无法将杂质分离而影响检测结果。由于食品中杂质种类众多,农药的种类繁多且理化性质各异,新型农药日益涌现,所以对样品的前处理提出了更高的要求。近年来,QuEChERS(Quick,Easy,Cheap,Effective,Rugged and Safe)作为一种新型的提取方法,由于具有快速、简单、廉价、有效、可靠、安全的特点,成为国内外广泛采用的样品前处理新技术,在多种农药、医药、兽药的气相或液相色谱分析中已经得到广泛应用。本文就国内外对QuEChERS法在各类食品以及其他动植物性农产品的农药残留检测中的应用和方法的改进进行了综述,并对QuEChERS法在今后农药残留检测的应用前景以及发展方向进行了展望。     

Reduction of pesticide residues on produce by rinsing

In 1997 this laboratory initiated a research program with the objective of examining the effect that rinsing of produce with tap water would have on pesticide residues. Samples were obtained from local markets and/or grown at our experimental farm. Because approximately 35% of produce from retail sources contains pesticide residues, growing and treating produce at an experimental farm had the advantage that all such samples contain pesticide residues. Pesticides were applied under normal field conditions to a variety of food crops and the vegetation was allowed to undergo natural weathering prior to harvest. The resulting samples contained field-incurred or "field-fortified" residues. This experimental design was employed to mimic as closely as possible real world samples. Crops were treated, harvested, and divided into equal subsamples. One subsample was processed unwashed, whereas the other was rinsed under tap water. The extraction and analysis method used was a multi-residue method developed in our laboratory. Twelve pesticides were included in this study: the fungicides captan, chlorothalonil, iprodione, and vinclozolin; and the insecticides endosulfan, permethrin, methoxychlor, malathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, bifenthrin, and DDE (a soil metabolite of DDT). Statistical analysis of the data using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that rinsing removed residues for nine of the twelve pesticides studied. Residues of vinclozolin, bifenthrin, and chlorpyrifos were not reduced. The rinsability of a pesticide is not correlated with its water solubility.     

Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in fruit juices by matrix solid-phase dispersion and gas chromatography

A rapid multiresidue method was developed for the determination of nine organophosphorus pesticides in fruit juices. The analytical procedure is based on the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) of juice samples on Florisil in small glass columns and subsequent extraction with ethyl acetate assisted by sonication. Residue levels were determined by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Spiked blank samples were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. The NPD response for all pesticides was linear in the concentration range studied with determination coefficients >0.999. Average recoveries obtained for all of the pesticides in the different juices and fortification levels were >70% with relative standard deviations of <11%. The detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 0.6 microg/kg. The identity of the pesticides was confirmed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection using selected ion monitoring. The proposed MSPD method was applied to determine pesticide residue levels in fruit juices sold in Spanish supermarkets. At least one pesticide was found in most of the samples, although the levels detected were very low, far from the maximum residue levels established for raw fruit.     

Multiclass pesticide determination in olives and their processing factors in olive oil: comparison of different olive oil extraction systems

The processing factors (pesticide concentration found in olive oil/pesticide concentration found in olives) of azinphos methyl, chlorpyrifos, lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, diazinon, dimethoate, endosulfan, and fenthion were determined in olive oil production process in various laboratory-scale olive oil extractions based on three- or two-phase centrifugation systems in comparison with samples collected during olive oil extractions in conventional olive mills located at different olive oil production areas in Greece. Pesticide analyses were performed using a multiresidue method developed in our laboratory for the determination of different insecticides and herbicides in olive oil by solid-phase extraction techniques coupled to gas chromatography detection (electron capture detection and nitrogen phosphorus detection), optimized, and validated for olive fruits sample preparation. Processing factors were found to vary among the different pesticides studied. Water addition in the oil extraction procedure (as in a three-phase centrifugation system) was found to decrease the processing factors of dimethoate, alpha-endosulfan, diazinon, and chlorpyrifos, whereas those of fenthion, azinphos methyl, beta-endosulfan, lambda-cyhalothrin, and deltamethrin residues were not affected. The water content of olives processed was found to proportionally affect pesticide processing factors. Fenthion sulfoxide and endosulfan sulfate were the major metabolites of fenthion and endosulfan, respectively, that were detected in laboratory-produced olive oils, but only the concentration of fenthion sulfoxide was found to increase with the increase of water addition in the olive oil extraction process.     

Determination of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in eggs using a solid phase extraction cleanup

A multiresidue solid phase extraction (SPE) method for the isolation and subsequent gas chromatographic determination of nonpolar organochlorine and polar organophosphorus pesticide residues in eggs is described. The method uses an acetonitrile extraction followed by an SPE cleanup using graphitized carbon black and aminopropyl SPE columns. Organophosphorus pesticides are determined by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. After further cleanup of the extract using Florisil SPE columns, organochlorine pesticides are determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Studies were performed using eggs containing both fortified and incurred pesticide residues. The average recoveries were 86-108% for 8 fortified organochlorine pesticide residues and 61-149% for 28 fortified organophosphorus pesticide residues.     

Simultaneous determination of neonicotinoid insecticides in agricultural samples by solid-phase extraction cleanup and liquid chromatography equipped with diode-array detection

Effective sample pretreatment procedures based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) for multiresidue determination of seven neonicotinoid insecticides in agricultural products were investigated. After extraction with acetone and concentration, the insecticides in aqueous sample extracts were transferred into organic solvent phases with a Chem Elut SPE cartridge. Finally, the eluate from the cartridge was cleaned up with a SPE cartridge packed with graphitized carbon black and aminopropyl silica gel, which showed a higher cleanup efficiency than the classical silica gel SPE cartridge. Seven insecticides were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and a gradient system of methanol and phosphate solution based on high-performance liquid chromatography. The established multiresidue determination has been applied to several artificially spiked agricultural samples, with the result that the average recoveries were excellent, with the exception of nitenpyram. The limit of detection of the method ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg for the insecticides.     

Analysis of pesticides in honey by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 51 pesticides in commercial honeys was developed. Honey (10 g) was dissolved in water/methanol (70:30; 10 mL) and transferred to a C(18) column (1 g) preconditioned with acetonitrile and water. Pesticides were subsequently eluted with a hexane/ethyl acetate mixture (50:50) and determined by gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC-MS-SIM). Spiked blank samples were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. Pesticides were confirmed by their retention times, their qualifier and target ions, and their qualifier/target abundance ratios. Recovery studies were performed at 0.1, 0.05, and 0.025 microg/g fortification levels for each pesticide, and the recoveries obtained were >86% with relative standard deviations of <10%. Good resolution of the pesticide mixture was achieved in approximately 41 min. The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.1 to 6.1 microg/kg for the different pesticides studied. The developed method is linear over the range assayed, 25-200 microg/L, with determination coefficients of >0.996. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of pesticides in honey samples, and low levels of a few pesticides (dichlofluanid, ethalfluralin, and triallate) were detected in some samples.     

Multiresidue determination of pesticides in soil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detection

An analytical multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of various classes of pesticides in soil was developed. Pesticides were extracted from soil with ethyl acetate. Soil samples were placed in small columns, and the extraction was carried out assisted by sonication. Pesticides were determined by gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion monitoring mode. Spiked blank samples were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. Pesticides were confirmed by their retention times, their qualifier and target ions, and their qualifier/target abundance ratios. Recovery studies were performed at 0.2, 0.1, and 0.05 microg/g fortification levels of each pesticide, and the recoveries obtained ranged from 87.0 to 106.2% with a relative standard deviation between 2.4 and 10.6%. Good resolution of the pesticide mixture was achieved in approximately 41 min. The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.02 to 1.6 microg/kg for the different pesticides studied. The developed method is linear over the range assayed, 25-1000 microg/L, with determination coefficients >0.999. The proposed method was used to determine pesticide levels in real soil samples, taken from different agricultural areas of Spain, where several herbicides and insecticides were found.     

Dynamics of pesticides in potato crops

This study investigated the behavior of pesticides commonly used on potato in a part of northwestern Spain with a large area devoted to this crop. Experimental potato plots were treated with commercial formulations of two insecticides, a nematicide, a herbicide, and a combination of two fungicides, and the concentrations of the active ingredients were monitored throughout the growing season in the 0-1 and 1-15 cm soil layers, in water dripping off the potato plants, and in the potatoes themselves. The technique used for pesticide determination was gas chromatography with mass selective detection. For potato analyses, pesticide extraction was optimized. The only pesticide ever detected in potato tubers was metalaxyl, the concentration of which never exceeded half the maximum residual limit even when it was applied several times more often than is officially recommended for potato crops. Metalaxyl was also the only pesticide detected in wash-off, apparently due to its being more soluble in water than the other pesticides applied to the growing plants. A mathematical model of pesticide transport in soil was fitted to the experimental data using the program HYDRUS-1D.     

Determination of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits with solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid and simple extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of five neonicotinoid insecticides has been developed. Twelve different fruit and vegetable matrixes were extracted with methanol and cleaned up using a graphitized carbon solid phase extraction cartridge loading with a 20% methanol solution. The concentrated eluate after methanol elution was then analyzed for pesticide residues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the APCI positive mode. The five pesticides including nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid were recovered at 70-95% at spike levels of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg in bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, grape, grapefruit, Japanese radish, peach, pear, potato, rice, and tomato. Relative standard deviations were less than 10% for all of the recovery tests. The proposed method is fast, easy to perform, and could be utilized for regular monitoring of pesticide residues.     

Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in soil by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of 25 fungicides and insecticides in soil was developed. Soil samples are extracted by sonication with a water-acetonitrile mixture, and the pesticides are partitioned into dichloromethane. Final determination was made by gas chromatography (GC) with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD). Confirmation analysis of pesticides was carried out by GC-MS in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The identification of compounds was based on retention time and on comparison of the primary and secondary ions. The average recovery by the GC-NPD method obtained for these compounds varied from 68.5% to 112.1% with a relative standard deviation between 1.8% and 6.2%. The GC-NPD method presents good linearity over the range assayed 50-2000 microg/L, and the detection limit for the pesticides studied varied from 0.1 to 10.4 microg/kg. The proposed method was used to determine pesticide levels in soil samples from experimental greenhouse pepper cultivation.     

Comparative study of methods for the extraction of eleven organophosphorus pesticide residues in rice.

Several extraction methods are compared for the simultaneous analysis of organophosphorus pesticides in unpolished rice. Four stationary phases were used for the subsequent gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) determination of the selected pesticides. Using 3 different GLC columns, 11 pesticides were completely separated and identified. The efficiency of the cleanup and the sensitivity of the analytical method were evaluated by using powdered unpolished rice samples fortified with the pesticides and also wheat and dried bean samples. Average recoveries ranged from 74.7% for disulfoton to 97.4% for malathion in unpolished rice and from 68.1% for disulfoton to 108.3% for malathion in other crops. The method described is applicable to the analysis of selected organophosphorus pesticide residues in unpolished rice, wheat, buckwheat, and dried beans.     

Multiresidue method for determination of 35 pesticides in virgin olive oil by using liquid-liquid extraction techniques coupled with solid-phase extraction clean up and gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection and electron capture detection

A method for the multiresidue determination of 35 pesticides (30 insecticides and five herbicides) in olive oil by gas chromatography (GC) is described. Three liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedures based on (i) partition of pesticides between acetonitrile (ACN) and oil solution in n-hexane, (ii) partition of pesticides between saturated ACN with n-hexane and oil solution in n-hexane saturated with ACN, and (iii) partition of pesticides between ACN and oil were tested for the optimization of the highest pesticide recoveries with the lowest oil residue in the final extracts. Experimental tests were preformed in order to study the efficiency of different clean up procedures with N-Alumina, Florisil, C18, and ENVI-Carb solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges for the compounds analyzed by GC-nitrogen phosphorus detection. A second step of clean up was also performed for the compounds analyzed by GC-electron capture detection (ECD), by using phenyl-bonded silica (Ph), diol-bonded silica (Diol), cyanopropyl-bonded silica (CN), and amino propyl-bonded silica (NH2) SPE cartridges. LLE of the oil solution in hexane with ACN followed by an ENVI-Carb SPE clean up of the extract gave the best results for all target compounds. The ACN extract was additionally cleaned through a Diol-SPE cartridge for the determination of pesticides analyzed mainly by GC-ECD. Pesticide recoveries form virgin olive oil spiked with 20, 100, and 500 microg/kg concentrations of pesticides ranged from 70.9 to 107.4%. The proposed method featured good sensitivity, pesticide quantification limits were low enough, and the precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, ranged from 2.4 to 12.0%. The proposed method was applied successfully for the residue determination of the selected pesticides in commercial olive oil samples.     

Dispersive cleanup of acetonitrile extracts of tea samples by mixed multiwalled carbon nanotubes, primary secondary amine, and graphitized carbon black sorbents

A method for analysis of 37 pesticide residues in tea samples was developed and validated and was based on reversed-dispersive solid-phase extraction (r-DSPE) cleanup in acetonitrile solution, followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry determination. Green tea, oolong tea, and puer tea were selected as matrixes and represent the majority of tea types. Acetonitrile was used as the extraction solvent, with sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate enhancing partitioning of analytes into the organic phase. The extract was then cleaned up by r-DSPE using a mixture of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, primary secondary amine, and graphitized carbon black as sorbents to absorb interferences. Further optimization of sample preparation and determination allowed recoveries of between 70% and 111% for all 37 pesticides with relative standard deviations lower than 14% at two concentration levels of 10 and 100 μg kg(-1). Limits of quantification ranged from 5 to 20 μg kg(-1) for all pesticides. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of pesticide residues in market tea samples.     

Water flow patterns and pesticide fluxes in an upland soil in northern Thailand

Rapid percolation of water through soil facilitates both the recharge and the contamination of groundwater reservoirs. We have studied the variation of water flux and pesticide leaching through a soil in northern Thailand. At a depth of 55 cm, two pits were equipped with tensiometer-controlled glass suction lysimeters that were connected to a novel on-line solid-phase extraction device. Nine insecticides varying in water solubility from 10⁻² to 10⁺⁶ mg l⁻¹ were applied on the soil surface, and leaching was monitored for 8 weeks. Measured water fluxes were compared with simulated values. Total recovery ranged from traces (malathion, triazophos) to 1.3% (dimethoate) of the applied amount, showing a decreasing retardation with increasing polarity of the substances. All pesticides were detectable in the soil solution during the first rain after application. Due to fingering, 83% of the leachate was transported through 38% of the area at leaching rates of < 2 mm per day. A new adaptation of the Simpson Index revealed that the diversity of the flow pattern increased exponentially with decreasing rates of seepage water flux (R² = 0.80). No such correlation was found when leaching was faster, indicating that the flow pattern switched from a fingering- to a matric-dominated flux. No long-term leaching of insecticides was observed. The two profiles studied behaved similarly in terms of both water and pesticide transport. Therefore we suggest that the flow pattern is a stable property of the soil that can be accurately described by our combination of novel experimental setup and statistical analysis of the flow field.     

Solid phase extraction gas chromatography/electron capture detector method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in wildlife whole blood.

A gas chromatographic method for the analysis of 10 organochlorine pesticides in 0.5 mL of whole blood is described. Sample preparation involved an ethyl ether and hexane extraction, followed by a silica solid phase extraction cleanup. The pesticides are quantified by gas chromatography/electron capture detection. Method limits of detection ranged from 1.1 to 5.2 microg/L. The mean and standard deviation for the recovery of 10 pesticides was 97.9 +/- 5.5%. Recoveries from whole blood were comparable to recoveries from plasma. This indicates that the preparation of plasma is unnecessary for the quantification of organochlorine pesticides in blood. This approach is particularly useful as a nonlethal approach for monitoring pesticide contamination in small animals for which the volume of blood is limiting.     

环境样品氨基甲酸酯类农药的分离和检测技术研究进展

氨基甲酸酯类农药是一类高效广谱型杀虫剂，近年来在农业生产中被广泛使用，然而由此带来的环境污染和食品健康问题也日益引起关注。无论是样品的前处理方法还是仪器检测方法都有待不断地完善和发展，因此，开发理想的样品前处理方法和更加有效的仪器分析方法成为该领域的研究热点。本文在查阅了近年国内外相关文献61篇的基础上，就环境样品氨基甲酸酯类农药的分离提取方法以及不同方法的优缺点做分析，同时对氨基甲酸酯类农药的仪器分析方法及其发展趋势做总结，以期为研究环境样品氨基甲酸酯类农药的分析技术提供有益的参考。     

Method for determination of organohalogen pesticide residues in vegetable oil refinery by-products

A method using gel permeation and Florisil column chromatographic cleanup techniques is described for determination of residues of nonpolar organohalogen pesticides and pesticide alteration products in vegetable oils and their refinery by-products. Supplemental Florisil separation and alkali cleanup techniques are used to facilitate determinations. Residues are determined with a 63Ni electron capture gas chromatographic detection system used in conjunction with 3 different gas chromatographic columns. Residue identities are confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Recoveries of 7 organohalogen pesticides, ranging from 90 to 103%, were determined by the supplemental Florisil separation technique to augment previously reported recovery data determined for initial GPC and Florisil cleanup steps. Soybean, peanut, and cottonseed deodorizer distillates and crude and refined oil, as well as additional refinery by-products, were analyzed. Nine to 13 organohalogen residues ranging from 0.5 to 6.3 ppm were determined in the 2 soybean deodorizer distillate samples used to develop and test the method. Identities of residues present at greater than or equal to 0.3 ppm were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An intralaboratory trial of the method provided additional recovery and residue determination data as follows: Recoveries ranging from 102 to 116% were obtained for 4 pesticides added to peanut oil deodorizer distillate. Residues determined in 1 soybean deodorizer distillate sample supported previously obtained data for this sample.     

Direct analysis of pesticide residues in olive oil by on-line reversed phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography using an automated through oven transfer adsorption desorption (TOTAD) interface

A fully automated on-line reversed phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography system is described. The system uses a prototype of the automated through oven transfer adsorption desorption interface. The system is demonstrated by presenting a new rapid method for the determination of pesticide residue in olive oil, which is injected directly with no sample pretreatment step other than filtration. Methanol:water is used as the eluent in the LC preseparation step, while the LC fraction containing the pesticide is automatically transferred to the gas chromatograph. Detection limits of pesticides varied from 0.18 to 0.44 mg/L when a flame ionization detector was used. As an example, relative standard deviation and linear calibration are presented for terbutryne.