Determination of alachlor residues in pepper and pepper leaf using gas chromatography and confirmed via mass spectrometry with matrix protection

Alachlor residues were determined in pepper and pepper leaf, after 49 days of manufacturer‐recommended single‐ and double‐dose application to the soil and plant. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, partitioned with n‐hexane, and purified through solid‐phase extraction, and finally detected with a gas chromatography–microelectron capture detector. The linearity of the analytical response across the studied range of concentrations (0.05–4.0 µg/mL) was excellent, obtaining coefficients of determination (r²) of 0.999. Recovery studies were carried out on spiked pepper and pepper leaf samples, at two concentrations levels (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg), with three replicates performed at each level. Mean recoveries of 73.1–109.0% with relative standard deviations of 1.3–2.3% were obtained. The method was successfully applied to field samples, and alachlor residue was found in pepper (0.02 mg/kg) and pepper leaf (0.03 mg/kg), at levels lower than the maximum residue limits (0.2 mg/kg) set by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. The field‐detected residues were further confirmed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with the help of pepper leaf matrix protection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of residues of metalaxyl,cyazofamid and a cyazofamid metabolite in tobacco leaves and soil by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A simple method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of metalaxyl, cyazofamid and the cyazofamid metabolite 4‐chloro‐5‐p‐tolylimidazole‐2‐carbonitrile (CCIM) by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The three target compounds were extracted from tobacco and soil with acetonitrile containing 0.1% acetic acid, and the extracts were purified using octadecylsilane. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity (R² ≥ 0.9985) for the target compounds. The limits of detection for metalaxyl, cyazofamid and CCIM were 0.006, 0.06 and 0.06 mg/kg in soil and green tobacco leaves and 0.03, 0.3 and 0.3 mg/kg in cured tobacco leaves, respectively. The limits of quantification for metalaxyl, cyazofamid and CCIM were 0.02, 0.2 and 0.2 mg/kg in soil and green tobacco leaves and 0.1, 1 and 1 mg/kg in cured tobacco leaves, respectively. The average recoveries from soil and tobacco were 72.91–98.40% for metalaxyl, 76.73–105.80% for cyazofamid and 74.48–106.45% for CCIM. The relative standard deviation range was 1.23–6.99%. The developed method was successfully applied to analysis of residues of metalaxyl, cyazofamid and CCIM in real soil and tobacco samples. The results indicated that the established method could meet the requirement for the analysis of trace amounts of all three analytes in soil and tobacco.     

A simple method for the determination of glyphosate residues in soil by capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus

A simple method was developed to determine the residues of glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, in soil. The residues were extracted from soil matrices with 2 M NH₄OH, derivatized by trifluoroacetic anhydride and trifluoroethanol, and, then, determined by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (GC-NPD). The results were further confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The limit of detection was estimated to be 9 × 10⁻¹² g, and the minimum determination concentration of glyphosate in the samples was 0.01 mg/kg. The ranges for the average recoveries and relative standard deviation (RSD) of the method were 84.4–94.0% and 8.1–13.7%, respectively, in agreement with the directives for method validation in residue analysis. The proposed method was successfully employed for the determination of glyphosate residue levels and dissipation retes in the soil from an apple orchard. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

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.     

Enantioselective separation of the carfentrazone‐ethyl enantiomers in soil,water and wheat by HPLC

A simple enantioselective HPLC method was developed for measuring carfentrazone‐ethyl enantiomers. The separation and determination was accomplished on an amylose tris[(S)‐α‐methylbenzylcarbamate] (Chiralpak AS) column using n‐hexane/ethanol (98:2, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with UV detection at 248 nm. The effects of mobile‐phase composition and column temperature on the enantioseparation were discussed. The accuracy, precision, linearity, LODs, and LOQ of the method were also investigated. LOD was 0.001 mg/kg in water, 0.015 mg/kg in soil and wheat, with an LOQ of 0.0025 mg/kg in water and 0.05 mg/kg in soil and wheat for each enantiomer of carfentrazone‐ethyl. SPE was used for the enrichment and cleanup of soil, water, and wheat samples. Recoveries for two enantiomers were 88.4–106.7% with RSD_r of 4.2–9.8% at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg levels from soil, 85.8–99.5% with the RSD_r of 4.4?9.6% at 0.005, 0.025, and 0.05 mg/kg levels from water, and from wheat the recoveries were 86.3?91.3% with RSD_r below 5.0% at 0.2, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg levels. This method could be used to identify and quantify the carfentrazone‐ethyl enantiomers in food and environment.     

Analysis of Benzidine and Dichlorobenzidine at Trace Levels in Water by Silylation and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Conditions for silylation of benzidine (BZ) and 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine (DCBZ) have been optimized. Reactivity, repeatability, and derivative stability were compared for the silylating reagents N-Methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) and N-Methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBDMSTFA) and the catalysts 3% trimethylsilylimidazole (TMS-I) and 0.3% NH₄-I–dithioerythritol. The results showed that derivatization with MTBDMSTFA/NH₄-I containing 0.1 mg dithioerythritol was superior to other methods. The silylation conditions selected were reaction with (MTBDMSTFA)–NH₄I, 1000:3, with catalysis by dithioerythritol, at 80 °C for 80 min. The TBDMS derivatives of BZ and DCBZ had very good chromatographic properties and very sensitive detection was achieved by gas chromatography with electron-impact ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EIMS). Simultaneous determination of BZ and DCBZ in water was developed on the basis of the TBDMS derivatives. Deuterated BZ (d8-BZ) was chosen as internal standard (IS) for analysis of water samples. BZ and DCBZ were extracted from water at pH 8.5 with dichloromethane and the extract was then dried and silylated. Recoveries of BZ and DCBZ were approximately 102 and 103% at a concentration of 2.0 ng mL⁻¹. The coefficients of variation for BZ and DCBZ were less than 9 and 4% at concentrations of 0.2 and 0.5 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The method detection limits for 200 mL water were 0.004 ng mL⁻¹ for BZ and 0.02 ng mL⁻¹ for DCBZ.     

Simultaneous determination of boscalid and fludioxonil in grape and soil under field conditions by gas chromatography/tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to simultaneously determine boscalid and fludioxonil in grape and soil samples. These samples were extracted with 10 mL of acetonitrile and purified using a mixed primary secondary amine/octadecylsilane sorbent. The method showed good linearity (R² > 0.99) in the calibration range 0.005–2 μg/mL for both pesticides. The limits of detection and quantification for the two analytes in grape and soil were 0.006 and 0.02 mg/kg, respectively. Fungicide recoveries in grape and soil were 81.18–92.11% for boscalid and 82.73–97.67% for fludioxonil with relative standard deviations of 1.31–10.31%. The established method was successfully applied to the residual analysis of boscalid and fludioxonil in real grape and soil samples. The terminal residue concentrations of boscalid and fludioxonil in grape samples collected from Anhui and Guizhou were <5 mg/kg (the maximum residue limit set by China) 7 days after the last application and 1 mg/kg (the maximum residue limit set by USA) 14 days after the last application. These results could provide guidance for the proper and safe use of boscalid and fludioxonil in grape and help the Chinese government to establish an MRL for fludioxonil in grape.     

Simultaneous determination and method validation of clethodim and its metabolites clethodim sulfoxide and clethodim sulfone in tobacco by LC‐MS/MS

A simple method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of clethodim, clethodim sulfoxide, and clethodim sulfone in soil and tobacco by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The three target compounds were extracted from tobacco and soil with acetonitrile, and the extracts were purified using octadecyl silane. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity (R² ≥ 0.9973) for the target compounds. The limits of detection and quantitation of the three analytes in all matrices were 0.024−0.06 and 0.08−0.2 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery was tested in blank soil and tobacco leaf samples and calculated to be 74.8–104.4% with relative standard deviations of 1.9–12.1%. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of residues of clethodim, clethodim sulfoxide and clethodim sulfone in real soil and tobacco samples. The results indicated that the developed method can meet the requirements for the analysis of trace amounts of all three analytes in soil and tobacco.     

Bioremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls degradation capabilities in field lysimeters

The degradation of 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) was compared in field lysimeters containing 60 Kg of soil contaminated with 5–10 mg/Kg of polychlorinated biphenyls.Alcaligenes A5, a bacterium carrying a plasmid for 4CB degradation, was inoculated into three lysimeters. When compared to an untreated control, soil samples from water, mineral, and yeast extract treated lysimeters with and without a bacterial inoculum exhibited greater than 10-fold increases in the rate of [1-¹⁴ C-acetate incorporation into lipids and¹⁴CO₂ production from [U-¹⁴C-4-chlorobiphenyl. Gene probe analyses for the 4CB plasmid and most-probable-number enumerations demonstrated the presence of biodegradative populations in lysimeters and the probable survival of the addedAlcaligenes A5.     

RP-HPLC determination of midecamycin and related impurities

Summary A method has been developed for separation and quantitation of midecamycin A₁ and related impurities by high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). Chromatographic conditions included use of a Diamonsil C₁₈ column; the mobile phase was 52:48 acetonitrile −0.2 mol L⁻¹ ammonium formate solution (adjusted to pH 7.3 with triethylamine) at a flow rate of 1 mL min⁻¹. The column temperature was 35°C, the shift tube temperature of the ELSD was 105°C, and the gas flow rate of the ELSD was 3.0 L min⁻¹. The response factors of midecamycins in HPLC-ELSD were the same; the linear equation wasy=599292.44x+2868618.04,r=0.9979, the linear range was 5–80 μg,RSD=0.21–1.54%, and theLOD andLOQ were 0.36 and 1.2 μg, respectively. The method was simple, quick, and precise and could be used to determine midecamycin and its related impurities directly.     

Determination and dynamics of kanamycin A residue in soil by HPLC with SPE and precolumn derivatization

As one of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, kanamycin has been widely used in human therapy and as an additive to promote growth and prevent disease in forage. The kanamycin residue may have potenital risks for organisms and the environment. Therefore, the monitoring of this drug may have dynamic importance. In this work, a novel method for determination and dynamic study of kanamycin A was developed through solid phase extraction and derivatization with 4-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzotrifluoride before high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The calculated recoveries were from 72.3 to 92.5%, with relative standard deviations from 2.99 to 6.94%. The detection limit of kanamycin A in soil was 0.006?mg?kg^?1 with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The dynamics in soil showed that the degradation of kanamycin A coincided with the equations C?=?1.951e^{?0.0482 t} for black soil and C?=?1.807?e^{?0.0247 t} for red soil and the half-lives were 14.38 and 28.06?d respectively. The degradation rate reached 95.19% in black soil after 63 days compared with 77.14% in red soil.     

Dissipation of the plant growth regulator hexanoic acid 2-(diethylamino) ethyl ester in pakchoi and soil

A rapid and simple method for determining the plant growth regulator hexanoic acid 2-(diethylamino) ethyl ester (DA-6) in pakchoi and soil using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed. For this purpose, a single step was used to extract DA-6 with dichloromethane from aqueous-acetone extracts of vegetables and soil. Average recoveries of DA-6 in pakchoi and soil were between 85% and 104% at both spiking levels 0.01 and 0.1 mg kg^?1. Relative standard deviations (RSD) were less than 11% for all of the recovery tests. The degradation of DA-6 in pakchoi and soil was studied. The results showed that DA-6 degradation in pakchoi and soil coincided with C = 3.9903 e^{?0.0516 t} , C = 0.3476 e^{?0.0224 t} , respectively; the half-lives were 13.43 h and 30.94 h in pakchoi and soil in Beijing, respectively.     

Radiochemical analysis of the polar agrochemicals validamycin and the metabolite melamine by ion-exchange chromatography

Suitable analytical methods to determine the radiochemical purity of validamycin and melamine are not described in the literature. High performance ion-exchange chromatography for the detection of underivatized validamycin and melamine has been proposed. The compounds were separated on HPLC using a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer based cation-exchanger. For the separation of validamycin a resin in the hydrogen-form has given a good separation and for melamine in the Na⁺-form. For the first time an ion-exchange separation of validamycin is described allowing the separation of at least four components of commercial validamycin: validamycin A, validamycin B or G, validoxylamine A and validoxylamine B or G without prior derivatization. The methods were applied to determine the radiochemical purity of ¹⁴C- or ³H labeled compounds.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Simultaneous determination of albendazole and its metabolites in fish muscle tissue by stable isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, specific, and sensitive method utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated to determine albendazole, albendazole sulfoxide, albendazole sulfone, and albendazole 2-aminosulfone in fish muscle tissue. The fish samples were extracted with ethyl acetate, then the organic phase was evaporated to dryness, and the residue was reconstituted in methanol–water solution and cleaned up by n-hexane. Reversed-phase separation of target compounds was achieved using a BEH C18 column and a gradient consisting of 0.2% (v/v) formic acid and methanol. Tandem mass spectrometry analyses were performed on a triple–quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. In the whole procedure, the isotope-labeled internal standards were used to correct the matrix effect and variations associated with the analysis. The method was validated with respect to linearity, specificity, accuracy, and precision. The method exhibited a linear response from 0.1 to 20 ng mL^-1 (r ² > 0.9985). The limit of quantitation for albendazole (ABZ), albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), albendazole sulfone (ABZSO₂), and albendazole 2-aminosulfone (ABZ-2-NH₂SO₂) was 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, and 0.2 ng g^-1, respectively. The mean recoveries of ABZ, ABZSO, ABZSO₂, and ABZ-2-NH₂SO₂ spiked at a level of 0.2–5.0 ng g^-1 were 95.3–113.7%, and the relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day measurements were less than 6.38%. The method was later successfully applied to the determination of albendazole and its three metabolites in 60 fish samples collected from local markets.     

Phytodegradation Potential of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erythrina crista-galli</Emphasis> L., Fabaceae,in Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

This work aimed at investigating both the tolerance and the phytodegradation potential of Erythrina crista-galli L. in petroleum-contaminated soil. It consisted in analyzing E. crista-galli germination, surviving, growth, and development when cultivated at different contaminant concentrations and pollutant degradation rates. This specimen was selected because it presented a special behavior among others also exposed to petroleum in an accident that occurred in the Araucaria region (south of Brazil), resulting in a four-million-liter oil spill. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse containing non-contaminated soil (NCS), vegetated contaminated soil (VCS), and non-vegetated contaminated soil (NVCS) at the following petroleum concentrations: 25 g kg⁻¹ (VCS-25), 50 g kg⁻¹ (VCS-50), and 75 g kg⁻¹ (VCS-75). After 60 days, the soil samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. Germination was more and more evident as higher petroleum concentrations were observed. The surviving rates of groups NCS, VCS-25, VCS-50, and VCS-75 were 64%, 70%, 61%, and 96%, respectively. The VCS group growth was reduced when compared to the control group (NCS). The individuals exposed to petroleum pollution presented differences in the anatomic structure of their roots when compared to the NCS group. It was observed that the petroleum degradation rate was higher for VCS group than for NVCS. E. crista-galli is potentially recommended for petroleum-contaminated soils because of its positive association in the presence of contamination.     

Speciation analysis of orthophosphate and myo‐inositol hexakisphosphate in soil‐ and plant‐related samples by high‐performance ion chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A novel method based on high‐performance ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry employing strong anion exchange chromatography with HNO₃ gradient elution for simultaneous analysis of orthophosphate and myo‐inositol hexakisphosphate (IP₆) in soil solution and plant extracts is presented. As inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of phosphorus at m/z 31 is hampered by N‐based interferences, ³¹P was measured as ³¹P¹⁶O⁺ at m/z 47 employing dynamic reaction cell technique with O₂ as reaction gas. Orthophosphate and IP₆ were separated within a total chromatographic run‐time of 12 min revealing a limit of detection of 0.3 μmol/L. The coefficients of determination obtained in a working range of 1–100 and 1–30 μmol/L were 0.9991 for orthophosphate and 0.9968 for IP₆, respectively. The method was successfully applied to extracts from three different soils as well as root and shoot extracts of Brassica napus L. The precision of three independently prepared soil extracts was in the range of 4–10% relative standard deviation for PO₄^3? and 3–8% relative standard deviation for IP₆. Soil adsorption/desorption kinetics for IP₆/orthophosphate were performed for investigating the sorption behavior of the two P species in the experimental soils.     

Phosphorus in biological standards and samples by thermal neutron irradiation and β-counting

A nondestructive NAA method based on the reaction ³¹P(n,γ)³²P (T _1/2 = 14.23 d) has been developed where the product nucleus, a pure β-emitter with end point energy 1.71 MeV is measured by using an end window G.M. counter and an Al filter of 27 mg·cm⁻². ³²P was identified by measuring E _β using Feather’s analysis and its half-life was found to be 15.3±0.2 days in standard reference materials (SRMs) and samples. For most reference materials (RMs) from NIST (USA) and IAEA (Vienna), our values agree within ±5% of the certified values. A variety of biological samples have also been analyzed and our values are in the range; medicinal herbs (n = 43), 0.29–5.23 mg/g; bhasmas (n = 19), 0.09–51.4 mg/g; vegetables (n = 8), 1.85–5.73 mg/g; lentils (n = 6), 2.1–5.5 mg/g; flours (n = 6), 1.3–3.3 mg/g; vegetarian diet (n = 5), 2.41–2.90 mg/g; fish (n = 43), 3.61–36.8 mg/g; human and animal milk (n = 6), 1.24–7.95 mg/g; commercial milk powders (n = 14), 2.76–11.9 mg/g; water from various sources (n = 14), 1–417 μg/l; human and animal blood (n = 9), 1.00–15.0 mg/g; cancerous and healthy breast tissue (n = 60), 1.00–8.63 mg/g; human hair (n = 43), 0.12–5.81 mg/g, where n is the number of samples analyzed. The method is simple, fast, and nondestructive and provides data within ±5% error limit with a detection limit of 0.1 mg/g.     

Comparison of adsorbents for on-line solid-phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons before liquid chromatography with UV detection

Summary On-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with reversed-phase liquid chromatography and UV detection at 254 nm has been used for the determination of trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in soil extracts. Five commercially available adsorbents (C₈, C₁₈, PLRP-S, PRP-1, and Bond-Elut Env) were evaluated. Results showed that recovery of the PAH decreased with increasing molecular weight, because of their poorer solubility. Recovery of high-molecular-weight PAH was significantly improved by addition of 10% (v/v) acetonitrile to the sample before loading of the SPE adsorbent. PAH recovery ranged from 64.0 to 108% when a 50 mL sample spiked with 1 μg L⁻¹ was applied to these adsorbents. Determination of PAH was possible with detection limits below 0.05 μg L⁻¹, which corresponds to 0.2 μg kg⁻¹ soil. The method was successfully used to determine PAH in soil extracts.     

A Temperature and Salt-Tolerant <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Glutaminase from Gangotri Region of Uttarakhand Himalaya: Enzyme Purification and Characterization

Purification and characterization of halotolerant, thermostable alkaline l-glutaminase from a Bacillus sp. LKG-01 (MTCC 10401), isolated from Gangotri region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, is being reported in this paper. Enzyme has been purified 49-fold from cell-free extract with 25% recovery (specific activity 584.2 U/mg protein) by (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation followed by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Enzyme has a molecular weight of 66 kDa. l-Glutaminase is most active at pH 11.0 and stable in the pH range 8.0–11.0. Temperature optimum is 70 °C and is completely stable after 3 h pre-incubation at 50 °C. Enzyme reflects more enhanced activity with 1–20% (w/v) NaCl, which is further reduced to 80% when NaCl concentration was increased up to 25%. l-Glutaminase is almost active with K⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions and K _m and V _max values of 240 μM and 277.77 ± 1.1 U/mg proteins, respectively. Higher specific activity, purification fold, better halo-tolerance, and thermostability would make this enzyme more attractive for food fermentation with respect to other soil microbe derived l-glutaminase reported so far.     

Preparation of trehalase inhibitor validoxylamine A by biocatalyzed hydrolysis of validemycin a with honeybee (Apis cerana fabr.) β-glucosidase

Validoxylamine A is structurally similar to trehalose and acts a potent competivive inhibitor of trehalase. It has recently been receiving increased attention as a potential material for the development of new insecticides or drugs. In this study, β-glucosidase extracted from honeybees (Apis cerana Fabr.) was used as a catalyst to produce validoxylamine A through enzymatic hydrolysis of validamycin A. β-Glucosidase was separated and purified from honeybees, and its characteristics were examined. The results showed that β-glucosidase was stable across a range of temperatures from 30 to 40°C and across a relatively wide range of pH values from 5.0 to 7.5. Investigation of the biocatalyzed hydrolysis process from validamycin A to validoxylamine A with β-glucosidase revealed that both the substrate (validamycin A) and the product (validoxylamine A) inhibited β-glucosidase activity. The inhibition constant of the substrate K value was 5.01 mM, and that of the product K _ip value was 1.32 mM. This product inhibition was competitive.