Pesticide stability studies upon storage in a graphitized carbon black extraction cartridge

Occurrence and behavior of pesticides in wastewater treatment plants and their environmental impact

Reports on pesticides elimination during wastewater treatment are rare since these substances are typically considered of agricultural rather than of urban origin. In this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the presence, removal and environmental relevance of 22 selected pesticides in three different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), paying attention not only to their occurrence and elimination but also to the toxicity of each pesticide against three aquatic micro organisms (algae, daphnia and fish) through the calculation of the so-named Environmental Relevance of Pesticides from Wastewater treatment plants Index (ERPWI). For this purpose, an analytical method based on isotope dilution on-line solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) was optimized, allowing the determination of the 22 target pesticides in wastewater with satisfactory sensitivity (limits of detection below 30 ng/L), accuracy and precision. Concerning the results, total pesticide levels were in most instances below 1 μg/L but removal in the WWTPs was variable and often poor, with concentrations in the effluent sometimes higher than in the corresponding influent. Possible explanations for these poor or negative removal rates are, among many others considered (e.g. sampling, sample preservation, method biases, atmospheric deposition), deconjugation of metabolites and/or transformation products of the pesticides, hydrolysis, and desorption from particulate matter during wastewater treatment. The most significant pesticides in terms of concentration and frequency of detection were diazinon and diuron. These two pesticides, followed by atrazine, simazine and malathion, were also the most relevant from the environmental point of view, according to the calculated ERPWI.

Determination of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits with solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid and simple extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of five neonicotinoid insecticides has been developed. Twelve different fruit and vegetable matrixes were extracted with methanol and cleaned up using a graphitized carbon solid phase extraction cartridge loading with a 20% methanol solution. The concentrated eluate after methanol elution was then analyzed for pesticide residues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the APCI positive mode. The five pesticides including nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid were recovered at 70-95% at spike levels of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg in bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, grape, grapefruit, Japanese radish, peach, pear, potato, rice, and tomato. Relative standard deviations were less than 10% for all of the recovery tests. The proposed method is fast, easy to perform, and could be utilized for regular monitoring of pesticide residues.

Multiresidue methods using solid-phase extraction techniques for monitoring priority pesticides, including triazines and degradation products, in ground and surface waters

The review describes the use of solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques for monitoring priority pesticides in ground and surface waters. The focus is on triazine herbicides and their degradation products. Data concerning the fate, occurrence, properties and extraction of triazines and their degradation products using different SPE techniques are tabulated and discussed.

Fifty years of solid-phase extraction in water analysis--historical development and overview

The use of an appropriate sample handling technique is a must in an analysis of organic micropollutants in water. The efforts to use a solid phase for the recovery of analytes from a water matrix prior to their detection have a long history. Since the first experimental trials using activated carbon filters that were performed 50 years ago, solid-phase extraction (SPE) has become an established sample preparation technique. The initial experimental applications of SPE resulted in widespread use of this technique in current water analysis and also to adoption of SPE into standardized analytical methods. During the decades of its evolution, chromatographers became aware of the advantages of SPE and, despite many innovations that appeared in the last decade, new SPE developments are still expected in the future. A brief overview of 50 years of the history of the use of SPE in organic trace analysis of water is given in presented paper.

Graphitized carbons for solid-phase extraction

The objective of this review is to provide updated information about the most important features of graphitized carbonaceous sorbents used for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of organic compounds from liquid natural matrices or extracts. The surface characteristics of graphitized carbon blacks and porous graphitic carbons are described which are responsible for the various types interactions (hydrophobic, electronic and ion-exchange) with analytes. The method development is given which is based on the prediction from liquid chromatographic retention data obtained using porous graphitic carbon. Emphasis is placed on their capability for trapping very polar and water-soluble analytes from aqueous samples. Comparison is made between carbon-based SPE sorbents and other reversed-phase materials such as octadecyl silicas and highly cross-linked copolymers. Especially, the difficulty encountered for the desorption of some strongly retained analytes is explained by LC data and solutions are given for optimizing the composition and volume of the desorption solution. Many examples illustrate the various common features of graphitized carbons which are the extraction of very polar analytes and multiresidue extractions. Some applications are specific to graphitized carbon black due to the presence of surface functional groups. They include the extraction of anionic compounds such as benzene and naphthalene sulfonates or acidic pesticides. Other applications are specific to porous graphitic carbon due to its flat and homogeneous surface. One example is the trace extraction of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from other PCB congeners.

Stability of organophosphorus insecticides on graphitized carbon black extraction cartridges used for large volumes of surface water

The stability of nine organophosphorus insecticides (azinphos-ethyl, azinphos-methyl, diazinon, EPN, ethion, fonofos, malathion, phosmet and parathion-methyl) was evaluated under a variety of storage conditions. Large volumes of surface water (4 l) were extracted using large-particle-size graphitized carbon black cartridges (Carbopack B 60-80 mesh). The effects of temperature, matrix type and drying of cartridges on the recovery of these contaminants, after different storage periods, were studied and compared to the conservation of surface water in bottles. After a 2-month period, all the chemicals stored on cartridges and kept at -20 degrees C remained stable, with recoveries ranging from 70 to 134%. By contrast, phosmet and EPN could no longer be recovered from the bottled surface water. Cartridges kept at -20 degrees C fared better than did those stored at 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C. The type of matrix water selected appears to have kept the target pesticides stored on cartridges from degrading, compared to the Milli-Q water, in which malathion and phosmet were unstable. The effect of the cartridges being either wet or dry made no difference in terms of improving the recovery of chemicals. After immediate surface water extraction, the most practical storage condition for the target insecticides was found to be storage on cartridges in the dark at -20 degrees C, with no drying or solvent washing of the Carbopack B material.

Comparison of the performance of graphitized carbon black and poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) cartridges for the determination of pesticides and industrial phosphates in environmental waters

The determination of polar and nonpolar organophosphorus compounds, triazines and their metabolites, molinate and chlorothalonil in 1 l water samples was investigated using off-line solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus and flame photometric detection. The ethylvinylbenzene-divinylbenzene copolymer (LiChrolut EN) and the commercial graphitized carbon black (GCB) of Envi-Carb were tested as solid-phase sorbents. The matrix effect was studied by extracting the compounds spiked in water samples of different types (Milli-Q, tap, salted tap water, river and sea water). The polymeric sorbent LiChrolut EN allowed the determination at low ng/l of all 40 compounds tested, except the very polar atrazine-desethyl-deisopropyl (DDA). Recoveries of compounds from the Envi-Carb sorbent are comparable to those obtained for LiChrolut EN with the exception of chlorothalonil and the more hydrophobic organophosphorus compounds (coumaphos, leptophos), which were strongly sorbed in the Envi-Carb cartridges. Envi-Carb, however, enabled the determination of DDA with a limit of detection of 14 ng/l.

Solid-phase extraction: method development, sorbents, and coupling with liquid chromatography

The objective of this review is to provide updated information about the most important features of the new solid-phase extraction (SPE) materials, their interaction mode and their potential for modern SPE. First, the recent developments are given in formats, phases, automation, high throughput purpose and set-up of new types of procedures. Emphasis is then placed on the large choice of sorbents for trapping analytes over a wide range of polarities, such as highly cross-linked copolymers, functionalized copolymers, graphitized carbons or some specific n-alkylsilicas. The method development is given which is based on prediction from liquid chromatographic retention data or solvation parameters in order to determine the main parameters of any sequence (type and amount of sorbent, sample volume which can be applied without loss of recovery, composition and volume of the clean-up solution, composition and volume of the desorption solution). Obtaining extracts free from matrix interferences in a few steps--one step when possible--is now included in the development of SPE procedure. New selective phases such as mixed-mode and restricted access matrix sorbents or emerging phases such as immunosorbents or molecularly imprinted polymers are reviewed. Selectivity obtained by combining two sorbents is described with the use of ion-exchange or ion-pair sorbents. Special attention is given to complete automation of the SPE sequence with its on-line coupling with liquid chromatography followed by various detection modes. This represents a fast, modern and reliable approach to trace analysis. Many examples illustrate the various features of modern SPE which are discussed in this review. They have been selected in both biological and environmental areas.

Comparison of different sorbents for on-line liquid-solid extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of nitrogen-containing pesticides

LiChrolut EN [poly(styrene-divinylbenzene), PSDVB], Carbograph (graphitized carbon black, GCB), Isolute CN (cyanopropylsilica), Isolute C2 (ethylsilica), and LiChrospher RP18 (octadecylsilica) were studied for on-line solid-phase extraction of twelve nitrogen containing pesticides from water. Determination (UV 210 nm) was performed with a Spherisorb C8 analytical column and an acetonitrile-water gradient. The mean recoveries from 50 ml ranged from 83% for RP18 to 44% for GCB, and decreased in the following order: RP18, CN, LiChrolut EN, C2, and GCB. GCB showed poor recoveries due to incomplete desorption with the acetonitrile-water gradient used, and memory effects were detected. Backflush was needed to elute selected pesticides from GCB and from LiChrolut EN. Breakthrough volumes were 50-100 ml for most selected pesticides with silica-based phases, whereas LiChrolut EN allowed larger sample volumes without observable losses.

Stability of isoproturon, bentazone, terbuthylazine and alachlor in natural groundwater, surface water and soil water samples stored under laboratory conditions

The stability of isoproturon, bentazone, terbuthylazine and alachlor was investigated in groundwater (GrW), surface water (SuW) and soil water from the unsaturated zone (SoW). Samples fortified with a low spiking level (LSL) of about 0.3-0.5 microgram/L and a high spiking level (HSL) of about 0.9-1.3 micrograms/L were stored for 1, 2, 14 (GrW) and 30 days (SuW and SoW) at 4 degrees C in amber glass bottles without biological inhibition. The initial pesticide concentration played a significant role, the lowest concentrations being the least stable for all pesticides. Nevertheless, after 14 days of storage, no concentration had decreased significantly compared to day 0 values, except for bentazone LSL in the GrW and SuW. Significant losses of alachlor were observed only after 30 days. Terbuthylazine and isoproturon were stable for 30 days, except for a slight loss of terbuthylazine HSL in the SoW. The very poor recovery of bentazone from the SoW gave poor results for interpretation. Overall, the stability of the molecules was highest in the GrW and lowest in the SoW. For SoW, the variability of triplicate determinations at a given storage time was, in some cases, as great as the changes in mean concentrations observed over the total 30 day storage period.

Stability of pesticides stored on polymeric solid-phase extraction cartridges

The stability of four pesticides (desethylatrazine, fenamiphos, fenitrothion and fonofos) was examined under different storage conditions after preconcentration in disposable solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges containing new polymer sorbent materials (Hysphere-1, IST EnviroLut and LiChrolut). Complete recovery for all the compounds was observed in precolumns kept at -20 degrees C for 1 month when preconcentrating 26 ml of ground water sample spiked at 10 micrograms/l. Degradation of fenamiphos and fenitrothion occurred in precolumns stored at 4 degrees C and at room temperature after 1 month. Fonofos was stable when compared to their storage in C18 precolumns. Problems in the quantification of the analytes after storage at 4 degrees C and at room temperature were encountered due to the presence of many interfering peaks in the chromatograms. Analysis of blanks with C18 precolumns was carried out, to determine the interferences. The stability of the pesticides was also examined in acidifed and non-acidified ground water in order to compare it to the stability of pesticides stored on SPE cartridges. Significant losses of fenamiphos and fenitrothion were achieved and were related to the pH of the water sample and their chemical structure. Finally, the new polymeric sorbent Hysphere-I was evaluated in terms of breakthroughs and compared with those of C18, obtaining higher recoveries for desethylatrazine.