Generalized net analyte signal standard addition as a novel method for simultaneous determination: application in spectrophotometric determination of some pesticides.

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of three neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) by a novel method named generalized net analyte signal standard addition method (GNASSAM) in some binary and ternary synthetic mixtures was investigated. For this purpose, standard addition was performed using a single standard solution consisting of a mixture of standards of all analytes. Savings in time and amount of used materials are some of the advantages of this method. All determinations showed appropriate applicability of this method with less than 5% error. This method may be applied for linearly dependent data in the presence of known interferents. The GNASSAM combines the advantages of both the generalized standard addition method and net analyte signal; therefore, it may be a proper alternative for some other multivariate methods.

Extraction and preconcentration technique for triazole pesticides from cow milk using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by GC-FID and GC-MS determinations.

A simple and rapid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the extraction, preconcentration, and analysis of triazole pesticides (penconazole, hexaconazole, tebuconazole, triticonazole, and difenoconazole) in cow milk samples. Initially to 5 mL milk sample, NaCl and acetonitrile were added as salting-out agent and extraction solvent, respectively. After manual shaking, the mixture was centrifuged. In the presence of sodium chloride, a two-phase system was formed: upper phase, acetonitrile containing triazole pesticides and lower phase, aqueous phase containing soluble compounds and the precipitated proteins. After the extraction of pesticides from milk, a portion of supernatant phase (acetonitrile) was removed, mixed with chloroform at microliter level and rapidly injected by syringe into 5 mL distilled water. In this process, triazole pesticides were extracted into fine droplets of chloroform (as extraction solvent). After centrifugation, the fine droplets of chloroform were sedimented in bottom of the conical test tube. Finally, GC-FID and GC-MS were used for the separation and determination of analytes in the sedimented phase. Some important parameters like type of solvent for extraction of pesticides from milk, salt amount, the volume of extraction solvent, etc., which affect the extraction efficiency, were completely studied. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factors were in the range of 156-380. The linear ranges of calibration curves were wide and limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 4-58 and 13-180 µg/L, respectively. This method is very simple and rapid, requiring <15 min for sample preparation.

Coupling stir bar sorptive extraction-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for preconcentration of triazole pesticides from aqueous samples followed by GC-FID and GC-MS determinations.

Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed as a new approach for the extraction of six triazole pesticides (penconazole, hexaconazole, diniconazole, tebuconazole, triticonazole and difenconazole) in aqueous samples prior to GC-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). A series of parameters that affect the performance of both steps were thoroughly investigated. Under optimized conditions, aqueous sample was stirred using a stir bar coated with octadecylsilane (ODS) and then target compounds on the sorbent (stir bar) were desorbed with methanol. The extract was mixed with 25 microL of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and the mixture was rapidly injected into sodium chloride solution 30% w/v. After centrifugation, an aliquot of the settled organic phase was analyzed by GC-FID. The methodology showed broad linear ranges for the six triazole pesticides studied, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.993, lower LODs and LOQs between 0.53-24.0 and 1.08-80.0 ng/mL, respectively, and suitable precision (RSD < 5.2%). Moreover, the developed methodology was applied for the determination of target analytes in several samples, including tap, river and well waters, wastewater (before and after purification), and grape and apple juices. Also, the presented SBSE-DLLME procedure followed by GC-MS determination was performed on purified wastewater. Penconazole, hexaconazole and diniconazole were detected in the purified wastewater that confirmed the obtained results by GC-FID determination. In short, by coupling SBSE with DLLME, advantages of two methods are combined to enhance the selectivity and sensitivity of the method. This method showed higher enrichment factors (282-1792) when compared with conventional methods of sample preparation to screen pesticides in aqueous samples.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using extraction solvent lighter than water.

For the first time a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method on the basis of an extraction solvent lighter than water was presented in this study. Three organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) were selected as model compounds and the proposed method was carried out for their preconcentration from water samples. In this extraction method, a mixture of cyclohexane (extraction solvent) and acetone (disperser) is rapidly injected into the aqueous sample in a special vessel (see experimental section) by syringe. Thereby, a cloudy solution is formed. In this step, the OPPs are extracted into the fine droplets of cyclohexane dispersed into aqueous phase. After centrifuging the fine droplets of cyclohexane are collected on the upper of the extraction vessel. The upper phase (0.40 microL) is injected into the gas chromatograph (GC) for separation. Analytes were detected by a flame ionization detector (FID) (for high concentrations) or MS (for low concentrations). Some important parameters, such as the kind of extraction and dispersive solvents and volume of them, extraction time, temperature, and salt amount were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors (EFs) ranged from 100 to 150 and extraction recoveries varied between 68 and 105%, both of which are relatively high over those of published methods. The linear ranges were wide (10-100 000 microg/L for GC-FID and 0.01-1 microg/L for GC-MS) and LODs were low (3-4 microg/L for GC-FID and 0.003 microg/L for GC-MS). The RSDs for 100.0 microg/L of each OPP in water were in the range of 5.3-7.8% (n = 5).