Simultaneous Determination of Carbamate and Organophosphorus Pesticides in Honeybees by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Summary The potential of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been studied for the simultaneous determination of sixteen carbamate and organophosphorus pesticides in honeybees using a traditional sample preparation protocol based on acetone extraction and dichloromethane partitioning. The performances of both atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray (ES) interfaces were compared. APCI offered better sensitivity and specificity for a higher range of pesticides. Limits of quantification were from 0.01 to 0.17 mg kg^–1, at which recoveries obtained were between 64 and 93%, except for pirimicarb that was at 13%, with relative standard deviations ranging from 7 to 20%. Fenitrothion, fenoxycarb, methiocarb and phoxim were found in bees from Valencian Community beehives at concentrations between 0.03 and 3.75 mg kg^–1.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the insecticide fenitrothion. Influence of hapten conformation and sample matrix on assay performance

This study aimed at developing competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the organophosphorus (OP) insecticide fenitrothion using a monoclonal antibody. The hapten used to obtain the antibody had an ideal structural feature that allowed minimal functional group sacrifice. By using the antibody and a coating antigen, a competitive indirect ELISA was developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 14 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.0 ng mL⁻¹. A competitive direct ELISA using an enzyme tracer was also developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 17 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.6 ng mL⁻¹. The antibodies in both assays showed negligible cross-reactivity with the metabolites of fenitrothion and other OP pesticides except with the insecticides parathion-methyl and parathion-ethyl. Recoveries of fenitrothion from fortified rice and lettuce samples were determined and the bias in the recovery values was rationalized by using the standard curves obtained in the matrix extract.     

Determination of styrene in olive oil by an automatic purge-and-trap system coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Summary A new gas chromatographic method using an automatic purge-and-trap system coupled to a GC with mass selective detection to analyze styrene at the parts-per-trillions (ng kg^–1) level is described. The method shows a good sensitivity and the detection limit is 10 ng kg^–1 with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.7% for 164 ng kg^–1 styrene in olive oil. This analytical method has been successfully applied to the analysis of styrene in extra-virgin olive oil from the European market.     

Determination of carbendazim,thiabendazole, and<Emphasis Type="Italic"> o-</Emphasis>phenylphenol residues in lemons by HPLC following sample clean-up by ion-pairing

An efficient analytical method is presented involving effective sample clean-up with solid-phase extraction and HPLC-UV analysis for the simultaneous determination of carbendazim, thiabendazole, and o-phenylphenol residues in lemons. Sample preparation involves extraction with acetonitrile acidified with trifluoroacetic acid and an ethyl acetate/petroleum ether mixture. Purification of the crude extract was carried out with liquid–liquid partitioning after addition of an aqueous ammonia solution. Final clean-up was performed on polymeric reversed-phase cartridges pretreated with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a reversed-phase HPLC column isocratically eluted with an acetonitrile/water/ammonia mixture and UV detection at 254 nm. The chromatographic method is repeatable, reproducible, and sensitive. Fungicide recoveries from lemon samples fortified at levels of 5 and 1 mg kg^–1 were 81–85% for carbendazim, 96–98% for thiabendazole, and 81–106% for o-phenylphenol with coefficients of variation of 2.5–7.4%. Detection limits for carbendazim, thiabendazole, and o-phenylphenol in lemons were 0.21, 0.27, and 0.51 mg kg^–1, respectively.     

Determination of Teturam in Aqueous–Alcoholic Solutions by Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry at a Silver Electrode

The conditions for the determination of teturam in aqueous–alcoholic solutions by cathodic stripping voltammetry at a silver electrode were found. The detection limit for teturam electroaccumulated for 5 min in a 50% C₂H₅OH solution alkalized with NaOH to pH 12.7 was 5.6 × 10^–5 M (relative standard deviation of 5%) and the upper boundary of analytical range was 5 × 10^–4 M (relative standard deviation of 1.5%).     

Electrochemical Determination of Fenitrothion Organophosphorus Pesticide Using Polyzincon Modified‐glassy Carbon Electrode

In this paper, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with polyzincon. The modified electrode was used as a simple, inexpensive and highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of organophosphorus pesticide fenitrothion. To fabricate the electrochemical sensor, GCE was immersed in 0.10 mmol L⁻¹ zincon solutions at pH 7.0 and then successively scanned between −1.00 to 2.20 V (vs . Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 70 mV s⁻¹ for six cycles. The morphology and structure of the polyzincon were studied with atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A comparison of the electrochemical behavior of fenitrothion on the unmodified and polyzincon modified‐GCE showed that in the modified electrode not only the oxidation peak current increased, but also the overpotential shifted to lower one. The experimental conditions such as sample solution pH, accumulation potential, and time were optimized. The differential pulse voltammetric responses of fenitrothion at potential about −0.60 V was used for the determination of fenitrothion. The peak current increased with increasing the concentration of fenitrothion in the range of 5 to 8600 nmol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.5 nmol L⁻¹. Finally, the electrochemical sensor was used for the analysis of fenitrothion in water and fruit samples.     

Rapid method for determination of phenylurea herbicides in milk

Summary A method has been developed for the determination of thirteen phenylurea herbicide residues in milk. It involves one-step solvent extraction of the milk with methanol by ultrasonication. The extract is cleaned up on an Amberchrom resin cartridge. Reversed-phase, gradient elution, high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 242 nm is used to analyse the residues. The recovery of thirteen phenylurea pesticides is quantitative, ranging from 71.4% to 97.9% for the individual herbicides investigated at concentrations around 0.05 mg kg^–1 and from 65.1% to 95.6% around 0.005 mg kg^–1. The method is not associated with any of the emulsion problems common to conventional solvent extraction, which considerably reduce the sample clean-up process compared with existing methods.     

Cloud-point extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of carbamate insecticide residues in fruits

A cloud-point extraction (CPE) method using Triton X-114 non-ionic surfactant was developed for the extraction and preconcentration of carbamate insecticide residues (i.e., methomyl, propoxur, carbofuran, carbaryl, isoprocarb, and promecarb) in fruit samples. The optimum conditions of CPE were 1.5% (w/v) Triton X-114, 7.0% (w/v) NaCl and 20 min equilibrated at 45 °C. The surfactant-rich phase was then analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection at 270 nm, under gradient separation using methanol and 0.1% (v/v) acetic acid. Under the study conditions, six carbamate insecticides were successfully separated within 27 min. Good reproducibility was obtained with the relative standard deviation of <3% for retention time and <9% for peak area. Limits of detection in the studied fruit samples were in the range of 0.1–1.0 mg kg⁻¹. No carbamate insecticides were detected in the studied fruit samples. The high recoveries of the spiked fruit samples were obtained in the range 80.0–107%. The CPE method has been shown to be a potential useful methodology for the preconcentration of the target analytes, with a preconcentration factor of 14. Moreover, the method is simple, has high sensitivity, consumes much less solvent than traditional methods, and is environmental friendly.     

Flow injection chemiluminescence determination of naftopidil based on potassium permanganate oxidation in the presence of formaldehyde or formic acid

A flow injection method is proposed for the determination of naftopidil based upon the oxidation by potassium permanganate in a sulfuric acid medium and sensitized by formaldehyde and formic acid. The optimum chemical conditions for the chemiluminescence emission were 0.25 mM potassium permanganate and 4.0 M sulfuric acid. Two manifolds were tested and instrumental parameters such as the length of the reactor, injection volume and flow rate were compared. When using the selected manifold in the presence of 0.4 M formaldehyde, naftopidil gives a second-order calibration graph over the concentration range 0.1–40.0 mg L^–1 with a detection limit calculated (as proposed by IUPAC) of 92.5 ng mL^–1 and a standard deviation of 0.12 mg mL^–1 for ten samples of 10.0 mg L^–1 naftopidil. In the presence of 1.15 M formic acid, naftopidil gives a second-order calibration graph over the concentration range 0.05–40.0 mg L^–1 with a detection limit of 14.2 ng mL^–1 and a standard deviation of 0.37 mg mL^–1 for ten samples of 10.0 mg L^–1 naftopidil. In both cases, the determination is free from interferences from common excipients such as sucrose, glucose, lactose, starch and citric acid.     

Gas‐phase copper and silver complexes with phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Efforts to improve agricultural productivity have led to a growing dependency on organophosphorus pesticides. Phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides are organophosphorus pesticide subclasses with widespread application for the control of insects feeding on vegetables and fruits. However, even low doses of these pesticides can cause neurological problems in humans; thus, their determination and monitoring in agricultural foodstuffs is important for human health. Phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides may be poorly ionized during electrospray, adversely affecting limits of detection. These pesticides can form complexes with Cu²⁺ and Ag⁺, however, potentially improving ionization. In the present work, we used electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) to study fenitrothion, parathion, diazinon, and malathion coordination complexes with silver and copper ions. Stable 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 metal/pesticide complexes were detected. Mass spectra acquired from pesticide solutions containing Ag⁺ or Cu²⁺ showed a significant increase in signal‐to‐background ratio over those acquired from solutions containing only the pesticides, with Ag⁺ improving detection more effectively than Cu²⁺. Addition of Ag⁺ to a pesticide solution improved the limit of detection by ten times. The relative affinity of each pesticide for Ag⁺ was related to complex stability, following the order diazinon > malathion > fenitrothion > parathion. The formation of Ag⁺–pesticide complexes can significantly improve the detection of phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides using ESI/MS. The technique could potentially be used in reactive desorption electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry to detect phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate pesticides on fruit and vegetable skins. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of Calcium and Copper in Feedstuffs by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Following a Digestion Procedure with H2SO4 + H2O2

Feedstuffs can be effectively dissolved by treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide in approximately 30 min for the rapid determination of elements at both the 1% level and the trace level by flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, respectively. This paper reports a new determinative method for calcium (10 g · kg⁻¹) and copper (10 mg · kg⁻¹) based on this procedure. The relative standard deviation of the results was typically ca. 5%.     

HPLC determination of pesticides in green bean samples after SPE clean-up

Summary A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with an acetonitrile-methanol-water mobile phase gradient and photodiode-array detection (DAD) is described for simultaneous determination of 21 pesticides, frequently used in agriculture, of different types, namely organophosphorus, organochlorine,N-methylcarbamates, triazines and phenylureas in vegetable samples. The pesticides were extracted with acetone and then partitioned from the vegetable sample with dichloromethane. Sample clean-up was accomplished by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using both C₁₈ and florisil SPE columns. Average recoveries from green beans ranged from 70.0 to 110.1%. Detection limits of less than 0.1 mg kg^–1 were obtained.     

Simultaneous enrichment of aluminium and lead with cupferron on activated carbon for determination in milk and fruit juices by atomic absorption spectrometry

An enrichment method has been modified for the determination of Al in animal milk and fruit juices by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The samples were digested by wet ashing. 8-Hydroxyquinoline and cupferron were used as complexing reagents for adsorption of the Al complexes on activated carbon. The pH values for maximum recovery of Al were in the ranges 4.4–6.0 for cupferron and 8.0–9.0 for oxine. The relative standard deviation was 4% for an aluminium concentration of 120 gL^–1 using cupferron. Optimum conditions for lead enrichment were taken from previous work on the cupferronactivated carbon enrichment method. The optimized procedure was applied to the determination of Al and Pb in animal milk and fruit juices by FAAS. Simultaneous enrichment of these two elements was achieved at the same pH.     

Multiresidue Analysis of Pesticides in Vegetables and Citrus Fruits by LC–MS–MS

In this work, an analytical multiresidue method using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) with triple quadrupole in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode for the simultaneous determination of 54 pesticides in vegetables (pepper and tomato) and citrus fruits (orange and lemon) has been developed. The procedure involves initial single phase extraction of sample with acetonitrile by agitation, followed by liquid–liquid partition aided by “salting out” process using NaCl. The average recovery by the LC–MS–MS method obtained for these compounds varied from 65.5 to 114.5% with a relative standard deviation between 2.3 and 8.3%. The method presents good linearity over the range assayed 10–500 μg L^?1 (except famoxadone 50–1,000 μg L^?1) and the detection limits for the pesticides studied varied from 0.03 to 14.9 μg kg^?1. The proposed method was used to determine pesticide levels in vegetables and citrus fruit samples from different experimental orchards and greenhouses from the Region of Murcia.     

Determination of photoirradiated high polar benzoylureas in tomato by HPLC with luminol chemiluminescence detection

This study reports the first analytical application of luminol chemiluminescence reaction for the sensitive detection of two benzoylurea insecticides (diflubenzuron and triflumuron). Off-line experiments demonstrated that previously irradiated traces of these benzoylurea insecticides largely enhanced the chemiluminescence emission yielded from the oxidation of luminol in methanol:water mixtures, by potassium permanganate in alkaline medium, the enhancement being proportional to the concentration of both pesticides. The two benzoylureas were determined in tomato samples by coupling liquid chromatography with post-column photoderivatization and detection based on this chemiluminescence reaction. Tomato samples were extracted using the QuEChERS method based on extraction with acetonitrile and dispersive solid-phase clean-up using primary and secondary amine (PSA). Interferences due to matrix effect were overcome by using matrix-matched standards. The optimised method was validated with respect to linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy. Under the optimised conditions, calibrations graphs were linear between 0.05 and 0.50 μg mL⁻¹ for diflubenzuron and between 0.10 and 1.00 μg mL⁻¹ for triflumuron. Method detection limits were 0.0025 and 0.0131 μg mL⁻¹ (equivalent to 0.0005 and 0.0026 mg kg⁻¹) and quantification limits were 0.05 and 0.10 μg mL⁻¹ (equivalent to 0.01 and 0.02 mg kg⁻¹) for diflubenzuron and triflumuron, respectively. In both cases, quantification limits were lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by the European legislation. The relative standard deviation of intra-day precision was below 10% and recoveries were between 79.7% and 94.2% for both pesticides.     

Homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction combined with gas chromatography-electron capture detector for the determination of three pesticide residues in soils

In this study, a new method was developed for analyzing malathion, cypermethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin from soil samples by using homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction (HLLE) and gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC–ECD). Acetone was used as extraction solvent for the extraction of target pesticides from soil samples. When the extraction process was finished, the target analytes in the extraction solvent were rapidly transferred from the acetone extract to carbon tetrachloride, using HLLE. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was obtained in the range of 0.05–40 μg kg⁻¹ for malathion, 0.04–10 μg kg⁻¹ for lambda-cyhalothrin and 0.05–50 μg kg⁻¹ for cypermethrin, respectively. Coefficients of correlation (r²) ranged from 0.9993 to 0.9998. The repeatability was carried out by spiking soil samples at concentration levels of 2.5 μg kg⁻¹ for lambda-cyhalothrin, and 10 μg kg⁻¹ for malathion and cypermethrin, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) varied between 2.3 and 9.6% (n = 3). The limits of detection (LODs), based on signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3, varied between 0.01 and 0.04 μg kg⁻¹. The relative recoveries of three pesticides from soil A1, A2 and A3 at spiking levels of 2.5, 5 and 10 μg kg⁻¹ were in the range of 82.20–91.60%, 88.90–110.5% and 77.10–98.50%, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed method can be successfully applied for the determination of target pesticide residues in real soil samples.     

Indirect determination of chloride and sulfate ions in alcohol fuel by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary zone electrophoresis method using indirect UV detection for the analysis of chloride and sulfate in alcohol fuel samples was developed. The anions were analyzed in less than 3 min using an electrolyte containing 10 mmol l^–1 chromate and 0.75 mmol l^–1 hexamethonium bromide (HMB) as electroosmotic flow modifier. Coefficients of variation were better than 0.6% for migration time (n=10) and between 2.05 and 2.82% for peak area repeatabilities. Analytical curves of peak area versus concentration in the range of 0.065–0.65 mg kg^–1 for chloride and 0.25–4.0 mg kg^–1 for sulfate were linear with coefficients of correlation higher than 0.9996. The limits of detection for sulfate and chloride were 0.033 and 0.041 mg kg^–1, respectively. Recovery values ranged from 85 to 103%. The method was successfully applied for the quantification of sulfate and chloride in five alcohol fuel samples. The concentration of sulfate varied from 0.45 to 3.12 mg kg^–1. Chloride concentrations were below the methods LOD.     

Experimental design-based development and single laboratory validation of a capillary zone electrophoresis method for the determination of the artificial sweetener sucralose in food matrices

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method, optimised chemometrically, underwent a complete in-house validation protocol for the qualification and quantification of sucralose in various foodstuffs. Separation from matrix components was obtained in a dinitrobenzoic acid (3 mM)/sodium hydroxide (20 mM) background electrolyte with a pH of 12.1, a potential of 0.11 kV cm^–1 and a temperature of 22 °C. Detection was achieved at 238 nm by indirect UV. Screening, optimisation and robustness testing were all carried out with the aid of experimental design. Using standard addition calibration, the CZE method has been applied to still, carbonated and alcoholic beverages, yoghurts and hard-boiled candy. The method allows the detection of sucralose at >30 mg kg^–1, with a linearity range of 50–500 mg kg^–1, making it suitable for implementation of the recently amended Sweeteners for use in foodstuffs Directive (European Parliament and Council (2003) Off J L237:3–12), which set maximum usable doses of sucralose for many foodstuffs, most ranging from 200 mg kg^–1 to 450 mg kg^–1.     

A New Organophosphorus Insecticides Removal Process Using Fly ASH

Abstract

Fly ash and soil mixtures with a range of fly ash content from 1 to 100% were used to study adsorption and desorption of four organophosphorus insecticides, ethyl parathion, methyl parathion, fenitrothion and fenthion, in batch experiments. The object of the study was to develop a treatment process using fly ash as sorbent material to isolate/immobilize organic contaminants from aqueous solutions. The adsorption isotherms fit the Freundlich equation x/m=K_dC^1/n. The K_d values increase with the increase of the fly ash content. The isotherms seem to fit the S type, in mixtures of soil with a fly ash content from 0 to 10%, which implies that adsorption becomes easier as the concentration in the liquid phase increases. In mixtures of soil with a fly ash content from 25 to 50% the isotherms become L type and correspond to a decrease of site availability as the solution concentration increases. Finally in mixtures of soil with a fly ash content over 50%, C type adsorption was observed which correspond to a constant partition of the insecticides between the bulk solution and the adsorbent. Mass balance estimations show that the mean percent amounts of insecticides for a range of concentration 0.5–15 mg/l, removed by adsorption in the soil sample are 81.56 % for ethyl parathion, 48.97 % for methyl parathion, 67.06 % for fenitrothion and 86.65 % for fenthion. The adsorption increases as the fly ash content increased and reach the 100% in the “pure” fly ash. The adsorbed amounts of insecticides in mixtures of soils with >50% fly ash content, are up to 99%. In contrast, the amounts of desorption in water decrease as the fly ash content increase.

The results of this research demonstrate that the fly ash shows a significant capacity for adsorption of organophosphorus compounds from aqueous solution and can be used for pesticide removal process.     

Use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–UV and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry for Determination of the Imidacloprid Content of Honeybees, Pollen, Paper Filters, Grass, and Flowers

Imidacloprid is a new insecticide with a wide range of action. Because honeybees are very sensitive to this substance, two techniques (HPLC–UV and GC–MS) which enable its detection in several matrices of both animal and vegetable origin were used to monitor its possible presence in cultivated land. In the first method quantification of imidacloprid in honeybees was achieved by use of the external standard method; the detection limit was 50 mg kg^–1, the linear range 0.05–1 mg mL^–1, recovery 60–83%, and the imprecision (coefficient of variation) 8.6% for repeatability and 11.8% for reproducibility. Recovery from pollen was 71–98% in the range 0.05–0.5 mg kg^–1. The repeatability was 9.2–13.9%. Imidacloprid can often be found in the environment, not as a simple molecule but as a group of degradation products. The GC–MS method could be used to quantify all these species as oxidation products and to determine the initial quantity of imidacloprid by use of a conversion factor. The liquid chromatographic analysis could be used to detect, in a standard solution, 10 ng mL^–1 derivatized 6-chloronicotinic acid. The linearity was good (R=0.999) over a wide concentration range (10 g mL^–1–10 ng mL^–1). Several samples with different matrices (filter paper placed on an pneumatic corn seed drill, grass, flowers, honeybees, etc.) obtained during the sowing period for imidacloprid-treated corn were analyzed. The quantification limit (LOQ) was 0.005 mg kg^–1 for grass and flowers, 0.002 mg kg^–1 for honeybees, and 0.024 mg kg^–1 for paper filters.