Determination of chlorotriazines in aqueous environmental samples at the ng/l level using preconcentration with a cation exchanger and on-line high-performance liquid chromatography

Coupled-column liquid chromatography method with photochemically induced derivatization for the direct determination of benzoylureas in vegetables

The coupled-column (LC-LC) system, consisting of a first column packed with internal surface reversed phase (ISRP) (50 x 4.6mm ID) and a Chrompack C18 (100 x 4.6 mm ID) as second column, allowed the simultaneous determination of five benzoylurea insecticides in dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) extracts of vegetable samples without any clean-up step. This system was combined with a photochemically induced fluorescence (PIF) post-column derivatization in order to provide strongly fluorescent photoproducts from the non-fluorescent benzoylureas. Limits of detection ranged from 0.21 to 0.98 microg L(-1) of pesticide (equivalent to 0.14-0.65 microg kg(-1) in vegetable samples) and limits of determination ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 microg L(-1) (equivalent to 2.7-6.7 microg kg(-1)). Linearity of the method was established between 2 and 1800 microg L(-1), depending upon the compound. Validation of the total method was performed by randomly analyzing recoveries of four vegetable samples (aubergine, cucumber, green bean, and tomato) spiked at two levels of concentration (10.0 and 33.3 microg kg(-1)). The combination of the LC-LC system with PIF detection provides a sensitive, selective, and rapid method for the determination of pesticides in vegetable samples at levels lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established for these compounds by Spanish legislation.

Degradation of terbutylazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-terbutylamino-1,3,5-triazine), deisopropyl atrazine (2-amino-4-chloro-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine), and chlorinated dimethoxy triazine (2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine) by zero valent iron and electrochemical reduction

To help elucidate the mechanism of dechlorination of chlorinated triazines via metallic iron, terbutylazine (TBA: 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-terbutylamino-1,3,5-triazine), deisopropyl atrazine (DIA: 2-amino-4-chloro-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine), and chlorinated dimethoxy triazine (CDMT: 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine) were degraded via zero valent iron under controlled pH conditions. The lower the solution pH the faster the degradation, with surface area normalized pseudo first order rate constants ranging from 2 (+/- 1)x10(-3) min(-1) m(-2) l for TBA at pH 2.0 to 4 (+/- 2)x10(-5) min(-1) m(-2) l for CDMT at pH 4.0. Hydrogenolysis (dechlorinated) products were observed for TBA and CDMT. Electrochemical reduction on mercury showed similar behavior for all of the triazines studied; the initial product of CDMT bulk electrolysis was the dechlorinated compound. The iron results are consistent with a mechanism involving the addition of surface hydrogen to the surface associated triazine.

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.

Recent developments in polymer-based sorbents for solid-phase extraction

A review with 136 references on the principles and recent developments in the solid-phase extraction based on polymer sorbents is presented. New polymer-based materials, chromatographic modes, experimental configurations are described and their advantages for a rapid sample preparation of certain classes of compounds with different functional groups are discussed and compared to silica-based sorbents.

Solid-phase extraction in multi-residue pesticide analysis of water

The determination of pesticides in water is fundamental to the solution of environmental problems as natural waters are usually contaminated with a large number of pesticides. The selection of an isolation and/or concentration technique depends largely on the class of pesticides to be determined. It is often necessary to determine simultaneously a wide variety of compounds in a water sample. Application of solid-phase extraction techniques offers a solution. The mechanisms of solid-phase extraction, types of sorbents and their application to multi-residue pesticide analysis are reviewed.

Determination of phenoxyacid herbicides in drinking water at the ppt-level by liquid chromatography and on-line selective preconcentration

On-line precolumn sample handling using an anion-exchanger is applied to preconcentrate phenoxyacid herbicides in aqueous samples prior to their LC separation. Since direct percolation of large sample volumes through the ion-exchanger has to be avoided owing to the high content of inorganic anions in natural waters, a two-step preconcentration is carried out: phenoxyacids are concentrated in their neutral (acidic) form by percolation of natural samples at pH 1 first through a precolumn packed with the copolymer-based PRP-1 sorbent. Then, the PRP-1 precolumn is coupled on-line with a second one packed with the anion-exchanger and 3 ml of deionised water with 35% of acetonitrile allows the phenoxyacids to be desorbed from the PRP-1 sorbent and reconcentrated on the anion-exchanger in their ionic form. The content of the anion-exchanger is analysed on-line by coupling with a C18 analytical column and elution is made with a water-acetonitrile gradient. Detection limits in drinking water from a 500-ml sample are between 15 and 35 ng/l (ppt) and identity of phenoxyacids is reinforced by the fact that analytes are preconcentrated by the anion-exchanger. This methodology can be fully automated.

Atrazine and simazine determination in river water samples by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

A rapid and sensitive micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography analytical method was used for the determination of chlorotriazine herbicides in river water samples. Several electrolyte systems in the pH range 7-10 were tested in order to optimize the separation. The two compounds were separated in less than 10 min and the determination limit was about 0.4 ppb for each herbicide. Recovery values of the method were in the range 80%-117%.