Determination of sulfonamides in soil samples based on alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles as adsorbents

In this study, alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs) were synthesized, and they were applied to the analysis of sulfonamides (SAs) including sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), sulfamethoxydiazine (SMD), sulfadimethoxine (SDM) and sulfaquinoxaline (SQX) in different soil samples based on magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The extraction and concentration process was carried out in a single step by mixing the extraction solvent, magnetic adsorbents and soil sample under ultrasonic action. Then, the adsorbents were isolated from the complicated matrix easily with an external magnetic field. The SAs desorbed from the adsorbents were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with traditional methods, the MSPE method simplified the operation procedure and reduced the analysis time. Under the optimum conditions, the recoveries of SDZ, SMR, SMX, SMM, SMD and SDM by analyzing the five spiked soil samples were between 71% and 93% except for SQX (42-60%). This may be due to the stronger hydrophobic property of SQX. Detection limits of SAs were between 0.37 and 6.74 ng g⁻¹. It was also found that the “aging” effect of SAs contaminated soil could cause the recoveries to decrease.