Analysis of residue dynamics of clofentezine in tangerine and field soil by QuEChERS and HPLC-UV methods

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate clofentezine residue levels and dissipation trend in tangerine and soil for the safe application of clofentezine. A modified QuEChERS-HPLC-UVD method was developed to analyse clofentezine in tangerine and soil. Tangerine samples were homogenised and extracted by acetonitrile and then cleaned up with dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE) by primary and secondary amine (PSA) and C₁₈. Clofentezine residue was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV detector (UVD) at the wavelength of 268 nm. The presented method achieved the good linear relationship within the range from 0.05 to 5.0 mg kg^?1 for clofentezine (R² > 0.998). At the fortification levels of 0.05, 0.50 and 1.00 mg kg^?1 in tangerine pulp, tangerine peel and soil, recoveries ranged from 75.9% to 117.7% with relative standard deviations (RSD) less than 8.2%. In the supervised field trials, the half-lives of clofentezine in tangerine and soil were approximately 11.3 and 8.6 days, respectively. At pre-harvest interval of 21 days, the residue of clofentezine in tangerine was below the maximum residue limits (MRL) (0.5 mg kg^?1). Clofentezine (Water Dispersible Granule, 80%) was recommended to be sprayed twice and the recommended dosage ranged from 250 to 375 mg kg^?1.