Application of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as effective tool for trace analysis of organochlorine pesticide residues in honey samples

A dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) method followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was applied for the trace determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey samples. The type and volume of organic extraction and disperser solvents, pH, effect of added salt content and centrifuging time and speed were optimized to find the appropriate extraction conditions. In DLLME, 30 µL of 1,2-dibromomethane (serving as extractant) and 1.5 mL of acetonitrile (serving as disperser) were applied. The limit of detection (3 s) and limit of quantification (10 s) for all the analytes of interest (organochlorine pesticides) varied from 0.004 to 0.07 and from 0.02 to 0.3 ng g^?1, respectively. The extraction recovery ranged from 91 to 100 %, and the enrichment factors ranged from 171 to 199. The relative standard deviation was <6 % for intraday (n = 6) and <8 % interday (n = 4) measurements. The proposed DLLME–GC/MS method was confirmed to be fast, simple to perform, friendly to environment and suitable for analysis of organochlorine pesticide residues at trace levels in honey samples.     

Ultrasound‐assisted extraction and solid‐phase extraction as a cleanup procedure for organochlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls determination in aquatic samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detection

The feasibility of developing a quick, easy, efficient procedure for the simultaneous determination of organochlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic samples using gas chromatography with electron capture detection based on solid‐phase extraction was investigated. The extraction solvent (n‐hexane/acetone, cyclohexane/ethyl acetate, n‐hexane/dichloromethane, n‐hexane) for ultrasound‐assisted solid–liquid extraction and solid‐phase extraction columns (florisil, neutral alumina, acidic alumina, aminopropyl trimethoxy silane, propyl ethylenediamine, aminopropyl trimethoxy silane/propyl ethylenediamine, graphitized carbon black and silica) for cleanup procedure were optimized. The gas chromatography with electron capture detection method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and recovery. Mean recoveries ranged from 75 to 115% with relative standard deviations <13%. Quantification limits were 0.20–0.40 ng/g for organochlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. The satisfactory data demonstrated the good reproducibility of the method with relative standard deviations lower than 13%. In comparison to other related methods, this method requires less time and solvent and allows for rapid isolation of the target analytes with high selectivity. This method therefore allows for the screening of numerous samples and can also be used for routine analyses.     

Determination of organochlorine pesticides in river water using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and gas chromatography–electron capture detection

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography–electron capture detection (GC–ECD), has been developed for the extraction and determination of 14 organochlorine pesticides (hexachlorocyclohexanes (α-HCH, β-HCH and δ-HCH), Lindane (γ-HCH), Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide, α-Chlordane, β-Chlordane and p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE) in river water samples. Factors relevant to the microextraction efficiency, such as the kind of extraction and disperser solvent, their volume and the salt effect was investigated and optimised. In this method the appropriate mixture of extraction solvent (13.5 µL carbon disulphide) and disperser solvent (0.50 mL acetone) were rapidly injected into the aqueous sample by syringe. The values of the detection limit of the method were in the range of 0.05–0.001 µg L^?1, while the relative standard deviations for five replicates varied from 2.7 to 9.3%. A good linearity (0.9894 ≤ r ² ≤ 0.9998) and a broad linear range (0.01–200 µg L^?1) were obtained. The method exhibited enrichment factors ranging from 647 to 923, at room temperature. The relative standard deviations varied from 2.7 to 9.3% (n = 5). The relative recoveries of each pesticide from water samples at spiking levels of 2.00 and 10.0 µg L^?1 were 88.0–111.0% and 95.8–104.1%, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully utilised for the preconcentration and determination of the organochlorine pesticides in the Jajrood River water samples.     

Application of SiO2 hollow fibers for sorptive microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry determination of organochlorine pesticides in herbal matrices

A method involving simultaneous extraction and sample clean-up procedure: hollow fiber sorptive microextraction, coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometric detection for quantification of seven organochlorine pesticides in Radix et Rhizoma Rhei is described. SiO₂ hollow fiber with porous structure was synthesized for the first time. The internal diameter of SiO₂ hollow fiber is 380 μm and average wall thickness is 100 μm. Aggregated SiO₂ particles deposited on the surface of the hollow fiber in a regular array lead to porous structure. SiO₂ hollow fiber was applied to the determination of organochlorine pesticides in Radix et Rhizoma Rhei to avoid sample clean-up and minimize the matrix effects. Extraction solvent, extraction temperature and equilibration time were optimized. Fiber to fiber repeatability over the concentration ranges were less than 10%. Recoveries were satisfactory (between 63% and 115%) for most of organochlorine pesticides at spiking levels. Furthermore, the proposed method was also applied to determine seven organochlorine pesticides in 43 commercial Radix et Rhizoma Rhei samples, in which the selected pesticides were found in eight samples. The results have been further confirmed by solvent extraction methods according to China Pharmacopoeia (2005).     

A three‐phase solvent extraction system combined with deep eutectic solvent‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for extraction of some organochlorine pesticides in cocoa samples prior to gas chromatography with electron capture detection

A sample pretreatment method based on the combination of a three‐phase solvent extraction system and deep eutectic solvent‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been introduced for the extraction of four organochlorine pesticides in cocoa samples before their determination by gas chromatography‐electron capture detection. A mixture of sodium chloride, acetonitrile, and potassium hydroxide solution is added to cocoa bean or powder. After vortexing and centrifugation of the mixture, the collected upper phase (acetonitrile) is removed and mixed with a few microliters of N,N‐diethanol ammonium chloride: pivalic acid deep eutectic solvent. Then it is rapidly injected into deionized water and a cloudy solution is obtained. Under optimum conditions, the limits of detection and quantification were found to be 0.011‐0.031 and 0.036‐0.104 ng/g, respectively. The obtained extraction recoveries varied between 74 and 92%. Also, intra‐ (n = 6) and interday (n = 4) precisions were less than or equal to 7.1% for the studied pesticides at a concentration of 0.3 ng/g of each analyte. The suggested method was applied to determine the studied organochlorine pesticide residues in various cocoa powders and beans gathered from groceries in Tabriz city (Iran) and aldrin and dichlobenil were found in some of them.     

A hybrid triazine‐imine core‐shell magnetic covalent organic polymer for analysis of pesticides in fruit samples by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A novel hybrid triazine‐imine core‐shell magnetic covalent organic polymer with high adsorption capacity and excellent stability was fabricated by surface‐assisted in situ growth technique. The composite possesses porous and extended π‐conjugated system, and was applied as the magnetic sorbent for efficient enrichment and rapid separation of pesticides. A new analytical method for simultaneous determination of eight pesticides in fruit samples was developed by magnetic solid phase extraction combined with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The effect of extraction time, desorption time, and the type of desorption solvent on the extraction efficiency were evaluated. The established method shows good repeatability and high sensitivity. The repeatability of this method was estimated with relative standard deviations in the range of 0.7–7.0% (n = 5) for the same batch, and 1.7–10% (n = 3) for batch to batch. Good linearity for eight pesticides was obtained with coefficient of determination in the range of 0.9942–0.9990. Limit of detections ranged from 0.4 to 1.2 ng/L. Real sample determination showed that four and two pesticides were detected in strawberry and grape, respectively. The results demonstrated that the established method was efficient, sensitive, and convenient for trace determination of pesticides in fruit samples.     

Ultrasound‐assisted extraction and solid‐phase extraction for the simultaneous determination of five amide herbicides in fish samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detection

An efficient sample extraction and clean‐up method was developed for simultaneous determination of five amide herbicides (alachlor, acetochlor, propisochlor, metazachlor, and butachlor) in fish samples. The protocol consisted of ultrasound‐assisted solvent extraction and solid‐phase extraction clean‐up. In detail, aliquots of homogenized fish flesh were thoroughly mixed with 20 mL of n‐hexane and then extracted with ultrasonication for 40 min. Each sample was centrifuged and the supernatant was collected for the subsequent clean‐up. For the sample preparation, the above supernatant was processed with a C₁₈ column with 3 mL of dichloromethane/n‐hexane (1:1, v/v) as the eluant. Then the samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The correlation coefficients of the five calibration curves were 0.9976–0.9998 (n = 3). The limits of detection (S/N = 3, n = 11) and limits of quantification (S/N = 10, n = 11) were 0.19–0.42 and 0.63–1.39 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries of this method were 71.2–92.6% with good precision (<4.7% relative standard deviations, n = 6). The developed method was successfully applied to monitor the five amide herbicides in fish samples collected from different cities.     

Preconcentration of organochlorine pesticides in aqueous samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop after SPE with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

SPE joined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME‐SFO) as a novel technique combined with GC with electron‐capture detection has been developed as a preconcentration technique for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water samples. Aqueous samples were loaded onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes as sorbent. After the elution of the desired compounds from the sorbent by using acetone, the DLLME‐SFO technique was performed on the obtained solution. Variables affecting the performance of both steps such as sample solution flow rate, breakthrough volume, type and volume of the elution, type and volume of extraction solvent and salt addition were studied and optimized. The new method provided an ultra enrichment factor (8280–28221) for nine OCPs. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.5–1000 ng/L, and the LODs ranged from 0.1–0.39 ng/L. The RSD, for 0.01 μg/L of OCPs, was in the range of 1.39–13.50% (n = 7). The recoveries of method in water samples were 70–113%.     

Low‐density solvent‐based vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction and its application

For the first time, the low‐density solvent‐based vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction, followed by GC‐flame photometric detection has been developed for the determination of eight organophosphorus pesticides in aqueous samples. A small volume of organic extraction solvent (toluene) was dispersed into the aqueous samples by the assistance of surfactant and vortex agitator. The extraction was performed in a special disposable polyethylene pipette, allowing using the reagents with lower density than water as extraction solvents. The influence parameters were systemically investigated and optimized: toluene (30 μL) and Triton X‐100 (0.2 mmol/L) were used as the extraction solvent and the surfactant, respectively, and the extraction was performed for 1 min under room temperature without adding sodium chloride. Under the optimum conditions, the validation parameters such as the RSD (n = 6; 2.1–11.3%), LOD (0.005 and 0.05 μg/L), and linear range (0.1–50.0 μg/L with correlation coefficients (0.9958–0.9992) showed the method was satisfying. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of the organophosphorus pesticides in real samples with recoveries between 82.8 and 100.2%.     

A porous carbon derived from amino‐functionalized material of Institut Lavoisier as a solid‐phase microextraction fiber coating for the extraction of phthalate esters from tea

In this work, a porous carbon derived from amino‐functionalized material of Institut Lavoisier (C‐NH₂‐MIL‐125) was prepared and coated onto a stainless‐steel wire through sol–gel technique. The coated fiber was used for the solid‐phase microextraction of trace levels of phthalate esters (diallyl phthalate, di‐iso‐butyl ortho‐phthalate, di‐n‐butyl ortho‐phthalate, benzyl‐n‐butyl ortho‐phthalate, and bis(2‐ethylhexy) ortho‐phthalate) from tea beverage samples before gas chromatography with mass spectrometric analysis. Several experimental parameters that could influence the extraction efficiency such as extraction time, extraction temperature, sample pH, sample salinity, stirring rate, desorption temperature and desorption time, were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity existed in the range of 0.05–30.00 μg/L for green jasmine tea beverage samples, and 0.10–30.00 μg/L for honey jasmine tea beverage samples, with the correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.9939 to 0.9981. The limits of detection of the analytes for the method were 2.0–3.0 ng/L for green jasmine tea beverage sample, and 4.0–5.0 ng/L for honey jasmine tea beverage sample, depending on the compounds. The recoveries of the analytes for the spiked samples were in the range of 82.0–106.0%, and the precision, expressed as the relative standard deviations, was less than 11.1%.     

Ultrapreconcentration and determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water by solid‐phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography

Solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed as an ultra‐preconcentration method for the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides (isocarbophos, parathion‐methyl, triazophos and fenitrothion) in water samples. The analytes considered in this study were rapidly extracted and concentrated from large volumes of aqueous solutions (100 mL) by solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and then analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Experimental variables including type and volume of elution solvent, volume and flow rate of sample solution, salt concentration, type and volume of extraction solvent and sample solution pH were investigated for the solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with these analytes, and the best results were obtained using methanol as eluent and ethylene chloride as extraction solvent. Under the optimal conditions, an exhaustive extraction for four analytes (recoveries >86.9%) and high enrichment factors were attained. The limits of detection were between 0.021 and 0.15 μg/L. The relative standard deviations for 0.5 μg/L of the pesticides in water were in the range of 1.9–6.8% (n = 5). The proposed strategy offered the advantages of simple operation, high enrichment factor and sensitivity and was successfully applied to the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides in water samples.     

Determination of triazole pesticide residues in edible oils using air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection

In the present study, a rapid, simple, and highly efficient sample preparation method based on air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection was developed for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of five triazole pesticides (penconazole, hexaconazole, diniconazole, tebuconazole, and triticonazole) in edible oils. Initially, the oil samples were diluted with hexane and a few microliter of a less soluble organic solvent (extraction solvent) in hexane was added. To form fine and dispersed extraction solvent droplets, the mixture of oil sample solution and extraction solvent is repeatedly aspirated and dispersed with a syringe. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification between 2.2–6.1 and 7.3–20 μg/L, respectively. Enrichment factors and extraction recoveries were in the ranges of 71–96 and 71–96%, respectively. The relative standard deviations for the extraction of 100 and 250 μg/L of each pesticide were less than 5% for intraday (n = 6) and interday (n = 3) precisions. Finally edible oil samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method, and hexaconazole was found in grape seed oil.     

Extraction of organophosphorus pesticides in water and juice using ultrasound‐assisted emulsification–mixroextraction

In this study, a microextraction method termed as ultrasound‐assisted emulsification–microextraction (USAEME) has been developed for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in water and orange juice samples. In the USAEME method, aliquots of 50 μL chlorobenzene used as extraction solvent was added to 10 mL water sample in a conical glass centrifugal tube. Factors influencing the USAEME extraction efficiency such as sonication time, extraction solvent, extraction volume and salt addition were evaluated. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factors ranged from 241 to 311, LOD varied from 5.3 to 10.0 ng/L and linearity with a coefficient of estimation (r²) varied from 0.9991 to 0.9998 in the concentration level range of 0.05–2.5 μg/L for the extraction of OPPs in water samples. Finally, the proposed USAEME method was used for the extraction of OPPs from water and orange juice. The recoveries were in the range of 80.0–110.0%, and the repeatability of the method expressed as RSD (n=3) varied between 1.6 and 13%. The USAEME method has the advantage of being easy to operate, low consumption of organic solvent and high extraction efficiency.     

Simple and rapid determination of phthalates using microextraction by packed sorbent and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry quantification in cold drink and cosmetic samples

A simple and rapid method using microextraction by packed sorbent coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry has been developed for the analysis of five phthalates, namely, diethyl phthalate, benzyl‐n‐butyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, di‐n‐butyl phthalate, and di‐n‐propyl phthalate, in cold drink and cosmetic samples. The various parameters that influence the microextraction by packed sorbent performance such as extraction cycle (extract–discard), type and amount of solvent, washing solvent, and pH have been studied. The optimal conditions of microextraction using C₁₈ as the packed sorbent were 15 extraction cycles with water as washing solvent and 3 × 10 μL of ethyl acetate as the eluting solvent. Chromatographic separation was also optimized for injection temperature, flow rate, ion source, interface temperature, column temperature gradient and mass spectrometry was evaluated using the scan and selected ion monitoring data acquisition mode. Satisfactory results were obtained in terms of linearity with R² >0.9992 within the established concentration range. The limit of detection was 0.003–0.015 ng/mL, and the limit of quantification was 0.009–0.049 ng/mL. The recoveries were in the range of 92.35–98.90% for cold drink, 88.23–169.20% for perfume, and 88.90–184.40% for cream. Analysis by microextraction by packed sorbent promises to be a rapid method for the determination of these phthalates in cold drink and cosmetic samples, reducing the amount of sample, solvent, time and cost.     

A Rapid Method for the Determination of Organochlorine, Pyrethroid Pesticides and Polychlorobiphenyls in Fatty Foods Using GC with Electron Capture Detection

A new, single-step extraction and purification method was developed for the separation of 26 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), three pyrethroid pesticides (PPs) and six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from fatty foods of either animal or vegetable origin. The method includes homogenisation of extracted fat and diatomaceous earth. Separation was achieved using a mini Pasteur pipette where a matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction was carried out with only 5 mL of dimethyl sulphoxide as an eluting solvent. A Pasteur pipette was joined to a prepacked slurry filled Florisil column, water deactivated to 15% where a liquid–liquid extraction and adsorption chromatography successively took place. The elution of OCPs, PPs and PCBs was performed with n-hexane/diethyl ether. Recoveries for PCBs were from 81 to 86% and for OCPs 68 to 94%, except for β-HCH, which gave lower, more variable recoveries. Excellent recoveries were obtained for pyrethroid pesticides, mostly more than 80%. The method was applied to 509 fatty samples for monitoring of these compounds. GC, with two columns connected to two electron capture detectors (ECD), was used.     

Polyol‐enhanced dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and nitrogen phosphorous detection for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides from aqueous samples,fruit juices,and vegetables

Polyol‐enhanced dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been proposed for the extraction and preconcentration of some organophosphorus pesticides from different samples. In the present study, a high volume of an aqueous phase containing a polyol (sorbitol) is prepared and then a disperser solvent along with an extraction solvent is rapidly injected into it. Sorbitol showed the best results and it was more effective on the extraction recoveries of the analytes than inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium sulfate. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification within the ranges of 12–56 and 44–162 pg/mL, respectively. Enrichment factors and extraction recoveries were in the ranges of 2799–3033 and 84–92%, respectively. The method precision was evaluated at a concentration of 10 ng/mL of each analyte, and relative standard deviations were found to be less than 5.9% for intraday (n = 6) and less than 7.8% for interday (n = 4). Finally, some aqueous samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and four analytes (diazinon, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos, and phosalone) were determined, some of them at ng/mL level.     

Simplified method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey.

A method is described for the detection and quantitative determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey. After extraction with hexane, the pesticides were cleaned-up by adsorption chromatography on a Florisil Sep-Pak cartridge and eluted with 15% diethyl ether in hexane. The detection of organochlorine pesticides was performed by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The quantification limit obtained for different pesticides ranged from 0.56 to 2.78 micrograms kg-1 and recoveries from fortified honey samples averaged 89.6%.     

Sol–gel polydimethylsiloxane/poly(vinylalcohol)‐coated stir bar sorptive extraction of organophosphorus pesticides in honey and their determination by large volume injection GC

A PDMS/poly(vinylalcohol) (PDMS/PVA) film prepared through a sol–gel process was coated on stir bars for sorptive extraction, followed by liquid desorption and large volume injection–GC–flame photometric detector (LVI–GC–FPD) for the determination of five organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) (phorate, fenitrothion, malathion, parathion, and quinalphos) in honey. The preparation reproducibility of PDMS/PVA‐coated stir bar ranged from 4.3 to 13.4% (n = 4) in one batch, and from 6.0 to 12.6% (n = 4) in batch to batch. And one prepared stir bar can be used for more than 50 times without apparent coating loss. The significant parameters affecting stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) were investigated and optimized. The LODs for five OPPs ranged from 0.013 (parathion) to 0.081 μg/L (phorate) with the RSDs ranging from 5.3 to 14.2% (c = 1 μg/L, n = 6). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of five OPPs in honey.     

Influence of matrix on suitability of four methods for organochlorine pesticide analysis in waters

The monitoring of organochlorine pesticides has raised a great concern in the last years due to their toxicity (some of them are carcinogenic and endocrine disruptor compounds) and persistence. European Directive 2008/105/EC establishes very restrictive levels for organochlorine pesticides in surface waters. Therefore, simple, fast, highly sensitive and low cost analytical methods are required to detect and quantify these pollutants in water. In the present work, four procedures for extraction and determination are proposed and compared for the analysis of 28 organochlorine pesticides in tap, surface and sea waters. The suitability of each method of analysis was evaluated for each kind of water. The extraction methods proposed were: two solid-phase extraction methods using C₁₈ laminar disk and Oasis HLB cartridges, a solid-phase microextraction procedure using a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibre, and a micro liquid–liquid extraction procedure using ethyl acetate as solvent. Determination of pesticides was performed by large volume on-column injector-gas chromatography-electron capture detection (LVOCI-GC-ECD), splitless-GC-ECD and GC-MS (mass spectrometry). All methods present a good sensitivity with method detection limits lower than 10?ng?L^?1, good accuracy with recoveries between 75 and 120% (with some exceptions) and good precision (relative standard deviations <15%), according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC criteria. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed in terms of the green chemistry principles, the figures of merit and the matrix effect. This work tries to be a useful guidance for routine and control analysis laboratories.     

Development of a procedure for the multiresidue analysis of pesticides in vineyard soils and its application to real samples

A procedure for multiresidue analysis was developed for the extraction and determination of 17 pesticides, including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, as well as certain degradation products, in vineyard soils from La Rioja region (Spain). Different solvents and mixtures were tested in spiked pesticide‐free soils, and pesticides were comparatively evaluated by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Recoveries >70%, with relative standard deviations <9%, were obtained when a mixture of methanol/acetone or a mixture of methanol/CaCl₂ 0.01 M for the most polar compounds was selected as the extraction solvent. Method validation was accomplished with acceptable linearity (r² ≥ 0.987) within the concentration range of 0.005–1 μg/mL corresponding to 1.667–333.4 μg/kg and 0.835–167.1 μg/kg for liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, respectively, and detection limits <0.4 μg/kg for the compounds were studied. The extraction method was applied to 17 real vineyard soil samples, and terbuthylazine and its metabolite desethylterbuthylazine were the most ubiquitous compounds, as they were detected in the 100% of the soils analyzed. The presence of fungicides was also high, and the presence of insecticides was lower than other pesticides. The results confirm the usefulness of the optimized procedure for monitoring residues in vineyard soils.