Simultaneous determination of phenyl- and sulfonyl-urea herbicides in river water at sub-parts-per-billion level by on-line preconcentration and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Recent updates on remediation approaches of environmentally occurring pollutants using visible light-active nano-photocatalysts

Photocatalysis emerges as a potential remedy for the issue of an unreliable light source. Recognized as the most dependable and potent energy source sustaining life on Earth, sunlight offers a promising solution. Sunlight is abundant and free, operational costs associated with running photocatalytic system using nanoparticles are often lower compared to system relying on artificial light source. The escalating problem of water pollution, particularly in highly industrialized nations, necessitates effective wastewater treatment methods. These methods aim to combat elevated pollution levels, encompassing pharmaceuticals, dyes, flame retardants, and pesticide components. Advanced oxidation processes within photocatalytic wastewater treatment exhibit substantial promise for removing complex organic pollutants. Doped nanomaterials, with their enhanced properties, enable efficient utilization of light. Coupled nanomaterials present significant potential in addressing both water and energy challenges by proficiently eliminating persistent pollutants from environment. Photocatalysis when exposed to sunlight can absorb photons and generate e- h + pairs. This discussion briefly outlines the wastewater treatment facilitated by interconnected nanomaterials, emphasizing their role in water-energy nexus. In exploring the capabilities of components within a functional photocatalyst, a comprehensive analysis of both simple photocatalysts and integrated photocatalytic systems is undertaken. Review aims to provide detailed explanation of the impact of light source on photon generation and significance of solar light on reaction kinetics, considering various parameters such as catalyst dosage, pH, temperature, and types of oxidants. By shedding light on these aspects, this review seeks to enhance our understanding of intricate processes involved in photocatalysis and its potential applications in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

Synthesis of fructose bound Fe(iii) integrated carbon dots as a robust turn-off detection sensor for chlortoluron

A simple, sensitive, and robust fluorescent sensor for chlortoluron detection has been developed. Fluorescent carbon dots were synthesized using ethylene diamine and fructose via a hydrothermal protocol. The molecular interaction between fructose carbon dots and Fe(iii) resulted in a fluorescent metastable state exhibiting remarkable fluorescence quenching at λ_em of 454 nm and interestingly, further quenching occurred upon the addition of chlortoluron. The quenching in the fluorescence intensity of CDF-Fe(iii) towards chlortoluron occurred in the concentration range of 0.2-5.0 μg mL^-1 where the limit of detection was found to be 0.0467 μg mL^-1, the limit of quantification was 0.14 μg mL^-1, and the relative standard deviation was 0.568%. The selective and specific recognitive nature of the Fe(iii) integrated fructose bound carbon dots towards the chlortoluron make it a suitable sensor for real sample applications. The proposed strategy was applied for the determination of chlortoluron in soil, water, and wheat samples with recoveries in the range of 95% to 104.3%.

Characterization of adsorption and desorption of lawn herbicide siduron in heavy metal contaminated soils

Siduron is a widely used herbicide in urban lawn and has been frequently detected in urban and suburban surface water. However, characteristics of its environmental behavior in soil are seldom reported. The combined pollution of heavy metals, especially for Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and siduron would be common because of the widely existence of heavy metal pollution in urban soils. In this study, four soils with similar physicochemical properties but different levels of preexisting heavy metals were selected to investigate the adsorption and successive desorption of siduron using batch experiments. The results revealed a low sorption of siduron to all the tested soils. The organic carbon normalized distribution coefficient (K_oc) of siduron in the studied soils ranged from 117 to 137 L kg^-1 and was not significantly correlated to heavy metal levels. No apparent desorption hysteresis was observed with the hysteresis index (HI) ranging from 0.921 to 1.11. More than 50% of the sorbed siduron was readily released into soil solution. Results suggested that siduron was highly mobile and bioavailable in the studied soils. Significant correlation was found between adsorption/desorption parameters and soil organic carbon (SOC) in four soils. soil organic matter was thus considered as the dominant factor determining the adsorption and desorption of siduron in soils. Different from most of reported studies conducted by laboratory-amended soils, the influence of preexisting heavy metals on the adsorption-desorption of siduron was not significant in this work.

A simple voltammetric determination of metsulfuron-methyl in water samples using differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry

The voltammetric determination of metsulfuron-methyl, a type of pesticide, was investigated on a hanging mercury drop electrode using a differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry technique. The experimental parameters, such as the pH of the Britton-Robinson buffer, accumulation time, accumulation potential and initial potential were optimized for the metsulfuron-methyl determination. A well-defined reduction peak was observed at pH 2.0 to 4.0 in the potential range of -0.75 to -1.0 V. The pH of 2.0 was chosen as the optimum pH due to a good stripping signal of the reduction peak. There were no significant interfering ion effects on the electroanalysis of metsulfuron-methyl. The optimized parameters were then used to determine metsulfuron-methyl in the commercial pesticide Ally. The proposed method was highly sensitive due to the lower limit of determination (0.04 mg/L), being relatively selective, and consisting of good precision. The recovery values achieved were about 93% in water samples for this analysis.

New trends in sample preparation techniques for environmental analysis

Environmental samples include a wide variety of complex matrices, with low concentrations of analytes and presence of several interferences. Sample preparation is a critical step and the main source of uncertainties in the analysis of environmental samples, and it is usually laborious, high cost, time consuming, and polluting. In this context, there is increasing interest in developing faster, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly sample preparation techniques. Recently, new methods have been developed and optimized in order to miniaturize extraction steps, to reduce solvent consumption or become solventless, and to automate systems. This review attempts to present an overview of the fundamentals, procedure, and application of the most recently developed sample preparation techniques for the extraction, cleanup, and concentration of organic pollutants from environmental samples. These techniques include: solid phase microextraction, on-line solid phase extraction, microextraction by packed sorbent, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe).

A carbon dots-CdTe quantum dots fluorescence resonance energy transfer system for the analysis of ultra-trace chlortoluron in water

In this paper, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system between fluorescence carbon dots (CDs, donor) and CdTe quantum dots (CdTe, acceptor) was constructed, and a novel platform for sensitive and selective determination of chlortoluron was accordingly proposed. It was found that in Tris-HCl buffer solution at pH=8.7, energy transfer from CDs to CdTe occurred, which resulted in a great enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of CdTe. Upon the addition of chlortoluron, in terms of strong interaction between chlortoluron and CdTe QDs through the formation of chlortoluron-CdTe ground state complex, resulted in CdTe fluorescence quenching. Under optimal conditions, in range of 2.4×10(-10)molL(-1)-8.5×10(-8)molL(-1), the change of CdTe fluorescence intensity was in good linear relationship with the chlortoluron concentration, and the detection limit was 7.8×10(-11)molL(-1) (S/N=3). Most of common relevant substance, cations and anions did not interfere with the detection of chlortoluron. The proposed method was applied to determine chlortoluron in water samples with satisfactory results.

Determination of sulfonylureas in cereal samples with electrophoretic method using ionic liquid with dispersed carbon nanotubes as electrophoretic buffer

A capillary electrophoresis method to determine four sulfonylureas in grain samples was developed using 10mM of 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bminBF4) as electrophoretic buffer solution. 2mgL(-1) of Surfactant Coated-Single Wall-Carbon Nanotubes (SC-SWCNTs) was added to the buffer solution to improve the resolution. In this way, the separation of nicosulfuron, ethoxysulfuron, sulfometuron methyl and chlorsulfuron was carried out in 16min without using organic solvents. A clean up-preconcentration procedure was done prior to inject the sample into the CE instrument, in order to achieve the established maximum residue limits (MRLs). So, the detection limits (LODs) for each analytes were between 16.8 and 26.6μgkg(-1). The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were in the range 1.9-6.7%. A recovery study using the so-called matrix matched calibration demonstrates that no matrix interferences were found throughout the determination. The recovery percentages were ranged between 80% and 113%.

Mass spectrometry of the photolysis of sulfonylurea herbicides in Prairie waters

This review of mass spectrometry of sulfonylurea herbicides includes a focus on studies relevant to Canadian Prairie waters. Emphasis is given to data gaps in the literature for the rates of photolysis of selected sulfonylurea herbicides in different water matrices. Specifically, results are evaluated for positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry with liquid chromatography separation for the study of the photolysis of chlorsulfuron, tribenuron-methyl, thifensulfuron-methyl, metsulfuron-methyl, and ethametsulfuron-methyl. LC-MS/MS is shown to be the method of choice for the quantification of sulfonylurea herbicides with instrumental detection limits ranging from 1.3 to 7.2 pg (on-column). Tandem mass spectrometry coupled with the use of authentic standards likewise has proven to be well suited for the identification of transformation products. To date, however, the power of time-of-flight MS and ultrahigh resolution MS has not been exploited fully for the identification of unknown photolysis products. Dissipation of the herbicides under natural sunlight fit pseudo-first-order kinetics with half-life values ranging from 4.4 to 99 days. For simulated sunlight, radiation wavelengths shorter than 400 nm are required to induce significant photolytic reactions. The correlation between field dissipation studies and laboratory photolysis experiments suggests that photolysis is a major pathway for the dissipation of some sulfonylurea herbicides in natural Prairie waters.

A SPR-based immunosensor for the detection of isoproturon

The proof of principle of a reusable surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based immunosensor for the monitoring of isoproturon (IPU), a selective and systemic herbicide, is presented. The detecting rat monoclonal anti-isoproturon antibody (mAb IOC 7E1) was reversibly immobilized through the use of a capture mouse anti-rat (kappa-chain) monoclonal antibody (mAb TIB 172), which was covalently immobilized on the sensor chip surface. Such strategy features a controlled binding of the captured detecting antibody as well as facilitates the surface regeneration. The capture of the anti-IPU mAb by the antibody (TIB 172) coated sensor surface could be carried out up to 120 times (immobilization/regeneration cycles) without any evidence of activity loss. With a high test midpoint and a low associated SPR signal, the direct detection format was shown to be unsuitable for the routine analysis of isoproturon. However, the limit of detection (LOD) could be easily enhanced by using a strategy based on a surface competition assay, which improved all immunosensor parameters. Moreover, the sensitivity and working range of the indirect format were found to be dependent on the surface density of the anti-IPU mAb IOC 7E1. As expected for competitive formats, the lowest surface coverage (0.5 ng/mm(2)) allowed a lower detection of the herbicide isoproturon with a calculated LOD of 0.1 microg/l, an IC(50) (50% inhibition) of 5.3+/-0.6 microg/l, and a working range (20-80% inhibition) of 1.3-16.3 microg/l.

Trace analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides and their metabolites in water using a combination of off-line or on-line solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Two alternatives for the rapid simultaneous quantification of six sulfonylurea herbicides and five of their main degradation products in natural water are proposed. For concentration, the compounds were extracted on a polystyrene-divinylbenzene solid phase under pH and elution conditions that suppressed any hydrolysis. The eluates were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry within 20 min. The whole method was validated and shown to give no hydrolysis artefacts. The application of off-line and on-line SPE of sulfonylureas enabled the 0.1 microg L(-1) and 1 ng L(-1) LOQ levels to be reached, respectively. The on-line SPE-LC-MS-MS method allowed the accurate quantitation of all sulfonylureas and three degradation products at 0.1 microg L(-1) or below in natural water, with an average repeatability of 8%.

Fast determination of herbicides in waters by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid multiresidue method for the analysis of more than 40 herbicides (such as simazine, terbuthylazine and diuron) in waters has been developed and validated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS). Prior to chromatographic determination, the samples were extracted using a solid-phase extraction procedure. The analysis was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C(18) column using a gradient elution profile and a mobile phase consisting of methanol and an aqueous solution of formic acid (0.01%). Other chromatographic and MS/MS parameters were optimised in order to improve selectivity and sensitivity of the analytes. The analytes were detected using electrospray ionisation (ESI)-MS/MS in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), optimising parameters such as voltage cone, capillary voltage, source and desolvation temperature, and desolvation and cone gas flow. The optimised method provides a rapid separation (less than 10 min) of the selected herbicides in the assayed matrices, and it was validated by the analysis of spiked blank matrix samples. Good linearity was obtained and the repeatability of the method was less than 20% for the lowest calibration point. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.02 microg/L, and the limits of quantification from 0.005 to 0.05 microg/L, which were below the values specified by the European Union. Finally, the method was successfully applied to real environmental samples from Andalusia (southern Spain). Terbuthylazine, simazine, atrazine desisopropyl and desethyl terbuthylazine were the herbicides most frequently found in water samples.