Simultaneous enzymatic kinetic determination of carbamate pesticides with the aid of chemometrics

A method for the simultaneous enzymatic kinetic determination of the pesticides, oxamyl, aldicarb and aminocarb in fruit, vegetables and water samples, has been researched and developed. It was based on enzymatic reaction kinetics and spectrophotometric measurements, and results were interpreted with the aid of chemometrics. The analytical method relies on the inhibitory effect of the pesticides on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the use of 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic) acid (DTNB) as a chromogenic reagent for the thiocholine iodide (TChI) released from the acetylthiocholine iodide (ATChI) substrate. The complex rate equation for the formation of the chromogenic product, P, was solved under certain experimental conditions, and this enabled the absorbance (A _p, at λ _max = 412 nm) from the mixtures of the three pesticide inhibitors to be directly related to their concentrations. The detection limits of the enzymatic kinetic spectrophotometric procedures for the determination of the oxamyl, aldicarb and aminocarb were 0.81, 2.13 and 1.25 ng mL^?1, respectively. Calibration models were constructed for principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS), and radial basis function-artificial neural network (RBF-ANN), and verified with synthetic samples of the three pesticides. The prediction performance of these models showed generally satisfactory results, and the RBF-ANN one performed slightly better than the other two (RPE_T = 7.59% and average %recovery = 99%). This model was then successfully applied to estimate the amounts of the three compounds in fruit, vegetables and water with satisfactory results.     

Prediction of CO2 Solubility in Polymers by Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Network Based on Chaotic Self-adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization and Fuzzy Clustering Method

To replace costly and time-consuming experimentation in laboratory, a novel solubility prediction model based on chaos theory, self-adaptive particle swarm optimization （PSO）, fuzzy c-means clustering method, and radial ba- sis function artificial neural network （RBF ANN） is proposed to predict CO2 solubility in polymers, hereafter called CSPSO-FC RBF ANN. The premature convergence problem is overcome by modifying the conventional PSO using chaos theory and self-adaptive inertia weight factor. Fuzzy c-means clustering method is used to tune the hidden centers and radial basis function spreads. The modified PSO algorithm is employed to optimize the RBF ANN connection weights. Then, the proposed CSPSO-FC RBF ANN is used to investigate solubility of CO2 in polystyrene （PS）, polypropylene （PP）, poly（butylene succinate） （PBS） and poly（butylene succinate-co-adipate） （PBSA）, respec- tively. Results indicate that CSPSO-FC RBF ANN is an effective method for gas solubility in polymers. In addition, compared with conventional RBF ANN and PSO ANN, CSPSO-FC RBF ANN shows better performance. The values of average relative deviation （ARD）, squared correlation coefficient （R2） and standard deviation （SD） are 0.1071, 0.9973 and 0.0108, respectively. Statistical data demonstrate that CSPSO-FC RBF ANN has excellent prediction capability and high-accuracy, and the correlation between prediction values and experimental data is good.     

Study on the Interaction between a Novel Ionic Liquid Probe and Anionic Surfactants Using Resonance Light Scattering Spectra and Its Analytical Application

The interaction between anionic surfactants (AS) and 1‐hexadecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide [C₁₆mim]Br was studied by using resonance light scattering (RLS) technique, UV‐Vis spectrophotometry and fluorometric methods. In Britton Robinson (BR) buffer (pH 6.0), [C₁₆mim]Br reacted with AS to form supermolecular complex which resulted in enhancement in RLS intensity. Their maximum RLS wavelengths were all at 390 nm. Some important interacting experimental variables, such as the solution acidity, [C₁₆mim]Br concentration, salt effect and addition order of the reagents, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, quantitative determination ranges were 0.001–7 μg·mL^?1 for dodecyl sodium sulfate (SDS), 0.001–6 μg·mL^?1 for sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and 0.005–7 μg·mL^?1 for sodium lauryl sulfonate (SLS), respectively, while the detection limits were 1.3 ng·mL^?1 for SDS, 1.0 ng·mL^?1 for SDBS and 5.1 ng·mL^?1 for SLS, respectively. Based on the ion‐association reaction, a highly sensitive, simple and rapid method has been established for the determination of AS.     

Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Iron and Cobalt in Micellar Medium by Using a Principal Component Artificial Neural Network and Multivariate Calibration

A simple and reliable method for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of iron(II) and cobalt(II) has been established. The method is based on complex formation with 1‐(2‐pyridylazo)‐2‐naphtol (PAN) in a micellar medium. Despite a spectral overlap, Fe²⁺ and Co²⁺ have been simultaneously determined with chemometric approaches involving principal component artificial neural network (PC‐ANN), principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS). Various synthetic mixtures of iron and cobalt were assessed and the results obtained by the applications of these chemometric approaches were evaluated and compared. It was found that the PC‐ANN method afforded relatively better precision than that of PCR or PLS. The proposed method permits detection limits of 0.05 and 0.07 ng mL^?1 for Co and Fe, respectively. The influences of pH, ligand amount, solvent percentage and time on the absorbance were also investigated. The proposed method was also applied satisfactorily for the determination of Fe(II) and Co(II) in real and synthetic samples.     

Determination of Danofloxacin and Marbofloxacin in Milk Samples by Micellar Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

A simple, rapid, and sensitive analytical method has been developed for the determination of two fluoroquinolones, danofloxacin and marbofloxacin, in bovine milk samples. Separation and quantification were performed by micellar liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (MLC?FD), using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant. The influence of the principal factors, namely, the micelle concentration, the amount of organic modifier, tail‐reducing agents, the pH, and the temperature were studied. The suitable condition was found to be 75 mM SDS?10 mM phosphate buffer–18 mM tetrabutylammonium bromide/3% (v/v) 1‐propanol at pH 3.0 for the separation of marbofloxacin, danofloxacin, and tosufloxacin (internal standard) in about 20 min. The linear concentration range of application was 1.8–30.0 ng · mL^?1 for danofloxacin and 16–120 ng · mL^?1 for marbofloxacin, and the relative standard deviation ranged between 4.9 and 2.7%. The limit of detection found for danofloxacin was 0.5 ng · mL^?1 and 5 ng · mL^?1 for marbofloxacin. These values were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the European Union for these compounds in bovine milk. It was applied to check the eventual existence of these compounds above these limits on commercial milk samples. The validation method was completed with spiked milk samples. Recovery levels obtained were 90.3–108.2%.     

Indirect Simultaneous Kinetic Determination of L‐Cysteine and Homocysteine by ANNs

Abstract

Simultaneous determination of cysteine and homocysteine in binary mixtures was performed by application of neural networks on the spectral kinetic data. This method is based on the complexation of bivalent iron with 2,2′–bipyridin (bipy). Iron(III) is quantitatively reduced to iron(II) with cysteine and homocysteine in the presence of 2,2′–bipyridin producing iron(II)–bipy complex (λmax=522 nm), and it can be used as a visible spectrophotometric signal for indirect simultaneous determination of the cysteine and homocysteine concentrations. On the basis of the difference in the rate between the two reactions, these two amino acids can be determined simultaneously using principal component‐artificial neural networks (PC‐ANN). The parameters controlling behavior of the system were investigated and optimum conditions selected. Determinations were made over the concentration range 0.10–5.50 µg · mL^?1 of cysteine and 0.1–5.00 µg · mL^?1 of homocysteine. Applying this method satisfactorily to simultaneous determination of these amino acids with total relative standard error less than 5% validated the proposed method.     

Combination of Solid‐Phase Micro‐Extraction and Direct Analysis in Real Time‐Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry for Sensitive and Rapid Analysis of 15 Phthalate Plasticizers in Beverages

A method for rapid identification and quantification of phthalate plasticizers in beverages was developed. A number of 15 phthalate plasticizers which covered all the phthalates concerned in the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), European Union legislations and Chinese national standards (GB) were analyzed. By a combined solid‐phase micro‐extraction (SPME) and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART‐MS) approach, phthalates at sub‐ng·mL^?1 levels can be qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in a short time. The use of ultrahigh‐resolving power and the accurate mass measurement capacity naturally provided by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS) minimizes the matrix interferences and thus enables the evaluation of phthalates in a complex matrix without extensive sample handlings or preparations. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were estimated to be at 0.3–5.0 ng·mL^?1, lower than the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) regulated by the European Union legislations (2007/19/EC) in foods, beverages, food packaging and toys (0.3–30 ng·mL^?1). This rapid and easy‐to‐use SPME‐DART‐FT‐ICR‐MS method provided a relatively high‐throughput and powerful analytical approach for quick testing and screening phthalates in beverages and water samples to ensure food safety.     

钯（II）-克林霉素-卤代荧光素体系的共振瑞丽散射光谱及其分析应用

在pH为5.0-5.4的乙酸-乙酸钠缓冲溶液中,克林霉素（Clin）与钯(Ⅱ)形成螯合阳离子,它能进一步与二碘荧光素（DIF）,赤藓红（Ery）,曙红Y（EY）等卤代荧光素类染料反应形成1：1：1的三元离子缔合物,此时将引起吸收光谱变化和荧光猝灭,同时还导致共振瑞利散射(RRS)的急剧增强并产生新的RRS光谱,钯(Ⅱ)-克林霉素与DIF,Ery和EY形成产物的最大散射波长分别位于285,287,32 1nm处,另外还有些较弱的散射峰存在。散射增强（ΔI）与克林霉素浓度在一定范围内成正比,可用于克林霉素的定量测定。对于DIF,Ery和EY体系的线性范围和检出限分别为0.025-2.1μg•mL-1和7.8 ng•mL-1,0.053-2.4μg•mL-1和16.0 ng•mL-1;以及0.038-2.4μg•mL-1和11.0 ng•mL-1。本文研究了适宜的反应条件,考察了共存物质的影响,表明方法有较好的选择性,基于三元离子缔合物的RRS光谱,发展了一种高灵敏、简便快速测定克林霉素的新方法。文中还对离子缔合物的组成,结构和反应机理,以及离子缔合物对吸收,荧光和RRS光谱的影响进行了讨论。     

Cyanopropyl Bonded-Phase Cartridges for Trace Enrichment of Dioxins and Chlorinated Pesticides from Water Samples

Gas chromatography of dioxins and chlorinated pesticides in water samples has been performed after adsorption from 50 to 100 mL sample on to a cartridge containing 100 mg cyanopropyl-bonded porous silica. The dioxins and chlorinated pesticides were desorbed with 2 mL carbon disulfide, which is concentrated and analysed by gas chromatography coupled with an electron-capture detector. The average recovery of 0.20 ng mL^?1 of each chlorinated pesticide and of 0.50 ng mL^?1 of each dioxin from distilled water and river water samples (50 mL) is ≥97.2% with a standard deviation (SD) ≤ 2.6. In the dioxin separation from chlorinated pesticides the recovery of dioxins at levels of 0.1–0.5 ng mL^?1 is ≥97.9% with a SD ≤ 1.3, with traces of aldrin, heptachlorepoxide and 4,4′-DDD (≤1.7%) by the CN-Sep-Pak cartridge, while the recovery of chlorinated pesticides at levels of 0.05–0.2 ng mL^?1 is ≥97.4% with a SD ≤ 1.5, with traces of hep-dioxin (2.4%) and penta-dioxin (1.0%) by the C₁₈-Sep-Pak cartridge connected “in series” to the CN-Sep-Pak cartridge.     

Determination of Ultratrace Silver Using Surfactant as Sensitizer by Catalytic Near Field Laser Thermal Lens Spectrometry

Introduction Thermal lens spectrometry (TLS) is an excellent method for trace analysis.1-3 Methods classified as TLS are based upon a thermal change in the optical proper-ties of a sample on the absorption of laser energy which leads to a temperature rise in the sample and conse-quently to the formation of an inhomogeneous spatial profile of the refractive index. The change in the diver-gence of a laser beam on the resulting optical element (thermal lens) is proportional to the amount of abs…     

Study on the Supramolecular Interaction of β-Cyclodextrin with Gemfibrozil by Spectrofluorimetry and Its Analytical Application

The supramolecular interaction of gemfibrozil with β-cyclodextrin （β-CD） was studied by spectrofluorimetry. The mechanism of the inclusion was discussed by spectrofluoremetry, infrared spectrum and ^1H NMR spectrum. The results showed that a 1 ： 1 （β-CD ： gemfibrozil） complex was formed with an apparent association constant of 3.844 × 10^3 L·mol^-1. Based on the enhancement of the fluorescent intensity of gemfibrozil, a spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of gemfibrozil in bulk aqueous solution in the presence of β-CD was developed. The linear range was 3.30 ng·mL^- 1 -6.00 ug·mL^-1 with the detection limit of 0.980 ng·mL^-1. There was no interference from the excipients normally used in tablet composition and the serum main compositions. The proposed method was then successfully applied to the determination of gemfibrozil in capsules and serum.     

Second‐order Scattering and Frequency Doubling Scattering Spectra of Thallium(III)‐Methotrexate System and Its Analytical Application

In pH 4.9 Britton-Robinson buffer solution, methotrexate (MTX) reacted with thallium(III) to form a 3∶1 chelate. This resulted in great enhancement of second-order scattering (SOS) spectra and frequency doubling scattering (FDS) spectra and appearance of new SOS and FDS spectra. Their maximum wavelengths were located at 520 and 390 nm, respectively. The increments of scattering intensities (ΔI) were directly proportional to the concentrations of MTX in the ranges of 0.022—2.0 μg•mL－1 (SOS method) and 0.008—2.5 μg•mL－1 (FDS method). The methods exhibited high sensitivities. The detection limits for MTX were 7.4 ng•mL－1 (SOS method) and 2.3 ng•mL－1 (FDS method), respectively. The optimum conditions of the reaction, the influencing factors and the effects of coexisting substances were investigated. A highly sensitive, simple and fast method for the determination of MTX has been developed. The method can be applied satisfactorily to the determination of MTX in human serum samples. In this work, the charge distribution of MTX was calculated by a CNDO quantum chemistry method. In addition, the reaction mechanism was discussed.     

Simultaneous enzymatic kinetic determination of pesticides, carbaryl and phoxim, with the aid of chemometrics

A sensitive and selective enzymatic kinetic method for the simultaneous determination of mixtures of carbaryl and phoxim pesticides was researched and developed. It was based on the inhibitory effect of the pesticides on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the use of 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic) acid (DTNB) as a chromogenic reagent for the thiocholine iodide (TChI) released from the acetylthiocholine iodide (ATChI) substrate. The DTNB-thiocholine reaction was investigated by a spectrophotometric-kinetic approach. The complex rate equation for the formation of the chromogenic product, P, was solved under certain experimental conditions, which enabled the absorbance (A_P, at λ_max = 412 nm) from the mixtures of the two pesticide inhibitors to be directly related to their concentrations provided the absorbance additivity was followed. The spectra were measured for mixtures of carbaryl and phoxim at different concentrations, and at t = 904 s, T = 35 °C, pH = 7.5, c_ATChI = 0.14, and c_AChE = 0.10 mg mL⁻¹. The detection limits of the enzymatic kinetic spectrophotometric procedures for the determination of the carbaryl and phoxim were 4.7 and 0.59 μg L⁻¹, respectively.Calibration models for chemometrics methods, such as principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS) and radial basis function-artificial neural network (RBF-ANN) were constructed and verified with synthetic samples of the mixtures of the two pesticides. The best performing model was based on the RBF-ANN method yielding at approximately 10 ppb analyte concentrations, %RPE_T (carbaryl = 5.2; phoxim = 6.5), %Recovery (approx.105%) and %RPE_T (6.5). Various spiked town-water samples produced recoveries in the range of 98.8-103% for each pesticide.     

Application of artificial neural networks to the determination of pesticides by linear sweep stripping voltammetry

In this work, artificial neural network (ANN), a powerful chemometrics approach for linear and nonlinear calibration models, was applied to detect three pesticides in mixtures by linear sweep stripping voltammetry (LSSV) despite their overlapped voltammograms. Electrochemical parameters for the voltammetry, such as scan rate, deposit time and deposit potential, were evaluated and optimized from the signal response data using ANN model by minimizing the relative prediction error (RPE). The proposed method was successfully applied to the detection of pesticides in synthetic samples and several commercial fruit samples.     

Diphenyl diselenide grafted onto a Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>-chitosan composite as a new nanosorbent for separation of metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction

Diphenyl diselenide was immobilized on chitosan loaded with magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles to give an efficient and cost-effective nanosorbent for the preconcentration of Pb(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions by using effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction (EA-DM-μSPE). The metal ions were desorbed from the sorbent with 3M nitric acid and then quantified via microflame AAS. The main parameters affecting the extraction were optimized using a one-at-a-time method. Under optimum condition, the limits of detection, linear dynamic ranges, and relative standard deviations (for n?=?3) are as following: Pb(II): 2.0 ng·mL^?1; 6.3–900 ng·mL^?1; 1.5%. Cd(II): 0.15 ng·mL^?1; 0.7–85 ng·mL^?1, 3.2%; Ni(II): 1.6 ng·mL^?1,.6.0–600. ng·mL^?1, 4.1%; Cu(II): 1.2 ng·mL^?1, 3.0–300 ng·mL^?1, 2.2%. The nanosorbent can be reused at least 4 times.

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Graphical abstract Fe₃O₄-chitosan composite was modified with diphenyl diselenide as a sorbent for separation of metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction.

     

Analysis of Dried Blood Spots for Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides by Gas Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCs) are anthropogenic pollutants highly resistant to chemical degradation and readily absorbed by organic tissue. Their persistence in the environment and toxicological threat to mammals prompts swift, reliable methods of analysis. This study outlines a rapid, efficient and sensitive, validated methodology utilizing a simple liquid extraction technique, and subsequent analysis by gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the determination of PCBs and OCs from dried blood spots. The PCBs and OCs were quantified in whole marine mammal blood spotted on Whatman Protein Saver cards (PSCs) by extracting the analytes into acetonitrile acidified with formic acid, followed by GC-MS/MS analysis. The samples were analyzed in positive electron impact (EI+) ionization mode with the electron energy set to 40?eV to preserve analyte integrity. Fortified blood with the analytes of interest was used for method validation and subsequent sample screening. The recoveries of targeted analytes ranged from 62.5% to 107.8%, with relative standard deviations ranging from 0.09% to 4.6% at a 100?ng·mL^?1 concentration level. The method detection limits were from 40.4?ng·g^?1 to 179.2?ng·g^?1 for the PCBs and 37.6?ng·g^?1 to 145.1?ng·g^?1 for the OCs. The use of dried blood spots provided for numerous advantages compared to whole blood samples while demonstrating reduced matrix effects and enhanced sample lifespan while retaining analyte sensitivity.     

Determination of Protoberberine Alkaloids in Coptis chinensis by Microextraction and High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Sample preparation technique based on an organic filter membrane (pH-resolved filter membrane microextraction) (pH-RFMME) was developed, coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, and used to determine protoberberine alkaloids (jatrorrhizine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, and berberine) in Coptis chinensis at different pH values through a one-step procedure. This green procedure provides a desirable sample pretreatment technology. The main variables affecting the extraction such as filter membrane area (or volumes of extraction solvents), sample pH, eluent pH, ionic strength, extraction stirring rate, extraction time, and sample volume were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the enrichment factors of the analytes were 40.4–52.0, the linear ranges were 3.2–6250 ng · mL^?1 for jatrorrhizine and epiberberine, 6.0–12000 ng · mL^?1 for coptisine, 1.8–3600 ng · mL^?1 for palmatine, and 18.8–18800 ng · mL^?1 for berberine, with r ² ≥ 0.9945. The limits of detection were less than 0.3 ng · mL^?1. Satisfactory recoveries (84.8%–115.5%) and precision (1.8%–10.0%) were also achieved. These results confirmed that pH-RFMME is a simple, rapid, practical, and environmentally friendly method to isolate analytes that exhibit significant differences in acidity or alkalinity from complex samples.     

A New Nanogold-Labeled Immunoresonance Scattering Spectral Probe for Determination of Trace IgG

A kind of 9 nm gold nanoparticles was prepared with the trisodium citrate and used to label goat anti-human IgG to obtain an IgG immunoresonance scattering spectral probe. In pH 5.8 buffer solution and in the presence of polyethylene glycol （PEG）, the immune reaction between gold-labeled goat anti-human IgG and IgG took place, and the resonance scattering intensity at 580 nm （I580nm） was enhanced greatly. The enhanced intensity AIRS is pro- portional to the IgG concentration from 1.3 to 1.5 X 10^3 ng.mL^-1, with a detection limit of 0.78 ng.mL ^-1. This assay showed high sensitivity and good selectivity for quantitative determination of IgG in human serum, with satisfactory results.     

Determination of Potassium Ferrocyanide in Foods by Resonance Rayleigh Scattering Method with Double-Charged Triaminotriphenylmethane Dyes

In pH 1.0 acidic medium, double-charged triaminotriphenylmethane dyes such as methyl green （MEG） and iodine green （IG） react with potassium ferrocyanide to form 2 ： 1 ion-association complexes by virtue of electrostatic forces and hydrophobic interaction. It results in the change of absorption and the great enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering （RRS） and the appearance of new RRS spectra. Two systems have similar spectral characteristics and their maximum RRS wavelengths are all located at 276 nm and smaller peaks are located at 332 and 457 nm, respectively. The intensity of RRS is directly proportional to the concentration of [Fe（CN）6]^4- in the range of 0.03-5.7 μg·mL^-1 （MeG system） or 0.04-5.9 μg·mL^-1 （IG system）. The RRS method has high sensitivity and the detection limit （3σ） for potassium ferrocyanide is 9.3 ng·mL^-1 （MeG system） or 11.2 ng·mL^-1 （IG system）. The optimum conditions, influencing factors and effects of foreign substances are investigated. The method also has a good selectivity. A sensitive, rapid and simple RRS method for the determination of potassium ferrocyanide in salinized food and table salt has been developed.     

Quantification of Thiram in Honeybees: Development of a Chemiluminescent ELISA

Abstract

A Chemiluminescence Enzyme‐Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assay (CL‐ELISA) for determination and quantification of the fungicide thiram in honeybees was developed in an indirect competitive format. The assay was optimized by determining: the optimal coating conjugate concentration and anti‐thiram antiserum dilution, the effect of the incubation time on the competitive step, the tolerance to organic solvents. The IC₅₀ and the limit of detection (LOD) values were 60 ng mL^?1 and 9 ng mL^?1, respectively, similar to those of colorimetric ELISA with a calibration range of 9–15,000 ng mL^?1. Cross reactivity of some related compounds such as some dithiocarbamates, a thiocarbamate, the ethylenethiourea and the tetramethylthiourea were tested. The assay was then applied to honeybees sample extracts obtained by using the liquid‐liquid extraction or the graphitized carbon‐based solid phase extraction.

The calibration curves in honeybee extracts from liquid‐liquid procedure gave an IC₅₀ of 141 ng mL^?1 and a LOD of 17 ng mL^?1. In case of extracts obtained by SPE these values were 139 ng mL^?1 and 15 ng mL^?1, respectively. The average recovery value from honeybee extracts spiked with 75 ng mL^?1 of thiram was 72% for SPE, higher than for liquid‐liquid extraction (60%). On the opposite, when the honeybees were directly spiked with 2 and 10 ppm the average recovery was higher for liquid‐liquid extraction (54%), than for SPE (31%). Finally, the assay was applied to honeybee samples collected during monitoring activities in Italy and Russia.