Simple, rapid solid-phase extraction procedure for the determination of ultra-trace levels of pyrethroids in ground and sea water by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy.

A method based on liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy with electrospray ionization in positive mode (LC/ESI-MS) to determine trace levels of pyrethroids in environmental water samples has been developed. The chromatographic and the MS parameters were optimized to obtain the best sensitivity and selectivity for all pesticides. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) using C18 cartridges was applied for preconcentration of pesticide trace levels (ng/L) in both ground and sea water samples. The preconcentration step was carried out with 800 mL of water sample modified with 200 mL of MeOH to improve the recovery percentages in the SPE procedure. The SPE-LC/ESI-MS methodology was applied to determine pyrethroids in ground and sea water samples spiked at ng/L concentration levels. Recoveries obtained in ground water were satisfactory (between 72 and 110%). However, an enhancement of the signals of all pesticides in the sea water was found due to the negative effect of the salt in the ionization source. To eliminate this effect a simple cleanup step of the SPE cartridge using 200 mL of Milli-Q water was performed. The cleanup removed the matrix effect completely from the marine samples. Thus, the recovery percentages ranged from 80 to 115%. The method was applied to determine ng/L of pyrethroids in both ground and marine water samples with precision values lower than 10%.

Determination of benzoylureas in ground water samples by fully automated on-line pre-concentration and liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection.

An on-line pre-concentration method for the analysis of five benzoylureas (diflubenzuron, triflumuron, hexaflumuron, lufenuron and flufenoxuron) in ground water samples was evaluated using two C(18) columns, and fluorescence detection after photochemical induced fluorescence (PIF) post-column derivatization. The trace enrichment was carried out with 35 mL of ground water modified with 15 mL of MeOH on a 50 mm x 4.6 mm I.D. first enrichment column (C-1) packed with 5 microm Hypersil Elite C(18). Retention properties of pesticides and humic acids usually contained in ground water were studied on C-1 at concentration levels ranging between 0.04 and 14.00 microg/L in water samples. The results obtained in this study show that the pesticides are pre-concentrated in the first short column while the humic acids contained in the ground water samples are eluted to waste. Pesticides recoveries ranged between 92.3 and 109.5%. The methodology proposed was used to determine benzoylureas in ground water samples at levels lower than 0.1 microg/L (maximum levels established by the European Union).

Application of coupled-column liquid chromatography combined with post-column photochemically induced fluorimetry derivatization and fluorescence detection to the determination of pyrethroid insecticides in vegetable samples.

This study reports the first application of coupled-column liquid chromatography-photochemically induced fluorimetry-fluorescence detection (LC-LC-PIF-FD), demonstrating its potential for the quantitative and selective detection of seven pyrethroids in vegetable samples such as cucumber, green bean, tomato and aubergine. An internal surface reversed-phase (ISRP) column coupled to a C18 column for analyte clean-up and determination were used, respectively. In comparison with a C18 column, the ISRP substantially improved the separation between analytes and interferences from the vegetable matrix. The limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 0.22 microg kg(-1) in the vegetable samples (equivalent to 0.01 and 0.13 microg L(-1) in the extract injected), and limits of determination ranged from 0.56 to 8.33 microg kg(-1) in the vegetable samples (equivalent to 0.34 and 5.00 microg L(-1) in the extract injected). Samples were extracted into dichloromethane to yield mean recoveries at two levels of concentration between 72.8 and 110.0% in all cases. Relative standard deviations were lower than 11%.