Sensitive determination of carbamates in fruit and vegetables by a combination of solid-phase extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction prior to HPLC

We report on a new method for sample pretreatment. It is based on solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (SPE-DLLME) and was applied to the determination of carbamates in apple and cucumber. The carbamates carbofuran, carbaryl, and pirimicarb were first extracted from samples by SPE. The analytes were then eluted from the sorbent with acetonitrile, and the DLLME technique was then applied to the resulting eluate. Finally, the analytes in the extraction solvent were determined by HPLC. Several parameters affecting the SPE-DLLME process were optimized. The new method provides enrichment factors that range from 5,400 to 7,650. Calibration plots are linear in the range from 0.25 to 100?μg?kg^?1 for carbofuran and carbaryl, and from 0.10 to 100?μg?kg^?1 for pirimicarb, with correlation coefficient (r²) ranging from 0.9980 to 0.9997. The limits of detection range from 5 to 60?pg?kg^?1 (at S/N?=?3). The method was successfully applied to the extraction and sensitive determination of carbamates in apple and cucumber samples.