Rapid and simple low density miniaturized homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometric determination of pesticide residues in sediment

A simple AIE probe to pesticide trifluralin residues in aqueous phase: Ultra-fast response, high sensitivity, and quantitative detection utilizing a portable platform

The threat from pesticide trifluralin residues to ecological environment and public health is becoming a growing problem. Thus, rapid and sensitive detection, particularly a simple and portable detected platform for trifluralin residues, are highly desired. Here, a small organic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule (TPETPy) is facilely synthesized and applied to detect trifluralin both in lab and in actual water systems. Based on the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) mechanism, the emissive peak of TPETPy located at 475 nm in tetrahydrofuran (THF)/water mixture (ƒw = 90 %) under the excitation of 340 nm, decreases dramatically upon trace trifluralin addition and exhibits ultra-fast response (3 s), high sensitivity and selectivity, and good anti-interference ability. The fluorescence sensing correlation with the concentration of trifluralin shows good linearity in the range of 20-90 μg L-1 with the limit of detection of 6.28 μg L-1. Moreover, a portable smartphone-integrated detected platform based on fluorescent pattern Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values is first employed to realize the real-time and on-site quantitative fluorescent detection of trifluralin in actual water sources, featuring good accuracy and reproducibility. Hereby, this work provides not only a highly efficient trifluralin residues fluorescent probe but also a portable and straightforward operating platform to detect trifluralin pesticides quantitatively.

Modified DLLME-GC-TQMS determination of pesticide residues in Gomti River, Lucknow, India: ecological risk assessment and multivariate statistical approach

This research article aims to establish an easy and well-defined analytical method for detection and quantification of multiclass pesticides in Gomti river water samples because the increased agricultural activities, industrialization, and urbanization had increased the presence of pesticides in the ecosystem which causes the depletion of water quality making it a global concern. The analytical method, vortex-assisted ultrasonication-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction-solidification of floating organic droplets (VAUS-DLLME-SFO) was optimized using one parameter at a time approach which gave the recovery between 69.45 and 114.15%, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ) 0.0011-0.0111 µg/L and 0.0033-0.0368 µg/L, respectively, and RSD in the range of 0.75-1.29 which shows sensitivity and accuracy better than earlier reported methods. The data obtained were subjected to measurement uncertainty, risk assessment, and multivariate statistical analysis to establish the robustness of the developed analytical method. The measurement uncertainty found was concluded to be in the acceptable range for analytical results. Furthermore, the real samples were analyzed and the associated value of the risk quotient was found to be less than 1, except for aquatic invertebrates, establishing the fact that the current concentration of pesticides has no such negative threat to flora and fauna. The possible source of pesticides in the Gomti river system was established by multivariate analysis. It was thus concluded that anthropogenic activity is responsible for the variable concentration of pesticides found in the sample.

Nanostructured β‐tricalcium Phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2 Based Electrochemical Sensor for Detection of Methyl Parathion and Mercury (II) Ions

In this work, we have fabricated a new electrochemical sensor based on β‐tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) nanoparticles (NPs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the selective nonenzymatic determination of methyl parathion and mercury (II) ions independently. β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) NPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and structural and morphological properties were investigated by XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The electrochemical behavior of MP and mercury (Hg2+) ions were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques using β‐TCP/GCE. The modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards both the MP and Hg over a wide linear range from 0.15 to 141 μM and 1–381 µM with the lowest detection limits of 88 and 136.4 nM respectively. The sensor has high selectivity towards MP and Hg in the presence of major interfering compounds such as 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 4-aminophenol, catechol, hydroquinone and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic. Applicability of the fabricated sensor for detection of MP and Hg (II) ions has been tested in tap water by standard addition method.

Exposure to common pesticides utilized in northern rice fields of Iran affects survival of non-target species, Pelophylax ridibundus (Amphibia: Ranidae)

Amphibians are the most important vulnerable non-target vertebrate group that are affected by pesticides. Most previous studies have confirmed the destructive effects of pesticides. But, so far, no comprehensive studies have been carried out in Iran. Therefore, to estimate the mortality rate of frogs during the growing season in different cultivating systems, we examined the presence of pesticides in water and substrate as indicators of habitat quality and in the liver tissue of Marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771), enclosed in the prepared cages at five rice paddy fields in Mazandaran province, Iran. The measurement of pollution was done using mass gas chromatography method and statistical analyses by Minitab software. Furthermore, the probable movement pattern of free frogs was analyzed using capture-mark-recapture method. Thirteen pesticides were detected both in the habitat and in frogs' liver tissue. Among them ß-Mevinphos, Fenitrothion, Bromofos, and Trifluralin had the most frequent occurrence in liver tissue, and Diazinon with concentrations up to 517.8 μg/Kg had the highest concentration. Furthermore, there is a significant correlation (R2 > 0.96) between water quality and frogs' contamination, whereas, no correlation was observed between substrate pollution and frogs' contamination. Pesticide concentrations were higher in two stations but lower than lethal doses to frogs, so that no mortality was observed at any of the stations. However, some specimens had a considerable muscle atrophy. Despite no significant movement pattern was detected, we can expect that if this trend continues, in a long term, they will face a reduction in the survival rate.

MPH-GST sensing microplate for easy detection of organophosphate insecticides

OBJECTIVE

To develop a convenient and efficient means for organophosphate (OP) insecticide detection, a simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-use absorbance-based sensing device was generated using methyl parathion hydrolase fused with glutathione-S-transferase (MPH-GST) covalently immobilized onto a chitosan film-coated microplate.

RESULTS

With methyl parathion (MP) as a representative substrate, this MPH-GST sensing microplate had the detection limit of 0.1 µM and the linear range of 0.1-50 µM. Despite its highest stability at 4 °C, it was considerably stable at 25 °C with high activity for 30 days. It was also most stable at pH 8.0 and could be efficiently reused up to 100 rounds. The device revealed a high percentage of recovery for tap water spiked with a known concentration of MP, which was also comparable to the result obtained from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. It also showed a high recovery of 82-100% with MP spiked agricultural products and satisfactory results with non-spiked samples. This immobilized enzyme sensing system was more sensitive and efficient than the whole cell system from our previous work.

CONCLUSIONS

All of the advantages of the MPH-GST sensing microplate developed have rendered it suitable for rapid and convenient OP screening, and for being a bio-element for fabricating a potential optical biosensor in the future.

Fluorescent methylammonium lead halide perovskite quantum dots as a sensing material for the detection of polar organochlorine pesticide residues

Methylammonium lead halide perovskite quantum dots (MAPB-QDs) have been widely used for photovoltaic devices due to their special electronic structures. In this work, MAPB-QDs were used for the first time to detect polar organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) based on the phenomenon that the fluorescence spectra of MAPB-QDs were blue-shifted in the presence of polar OCPs. Furthermore, ¹H NMR, FTIR, XPS and XRD were performed first to illustrate the sensing mechanism. In the presence of polar OCPs, the MAPB-QDs' capping ligands, oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OAm), were replaced with OCPs and then the chlorine element was adequately doped into QDs, resulting in the increase of the MAPB-QDs' bandgap. As result of the insufficient stability of MAPB-QDs in the presence of moisture, MAPB-QDs were mixed with PDMS and used as the colorimetric cards for fast detection of OCPs in real samples.

Evaluation of Solvents Used as Keepers in the Determination of Organic Pollutants by GC/MS

Solvent evaporation is often used in the sample preparation procedure for the determination of organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organic pesticides. Because of the loss of analyte during this step, a high-boiling solvent, i.e., a keeper, is often added to the extract before evaporation. However, there are almost no basic studies found in the literature on the selection of keepers for the appropriate type of analytes (keepers are usually selected only on the basis of information provided by various recommendations). In this work, the effect of several keepers (isooctane, toluene, nonane, octanol, dodecane) on the recovery of various analytes (PAHs, PCBs, organic pesticides) was evaluated (during evaporation in a stream of nitrogen, at 40 °C). The analysis of the results obtained for the tested compounds shows that 1-octanol is a universal keeper for compounds with low volatility, i.e., PCBs (average recovery: 97.6%), organochlorine pesticides (average recovery: 95.0%), organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs; average recovery: 99.7%) and higher mass PAHs (average recovery: 91.9%). The use of isooctane as a keeper yields high recoveries for PAHs, regardless of their volatility (average recovery: 95.5%). When using 1-octanol or dodecane as a keeper, the reversed solvent effect (during GC analysis) was noted in relation to volatile analytes causing the distortion of their peaks. Additionally, the phenomenon of loss of some analytes (e.g., OPPs) was observed during evaporation without heating the vials. However, in the case of PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and o-hydroxybiphenyl, evaporation under such conditions yields recoveries greater than or equal to 90.0%. The results presented in this work can help in finding a suitable keeper for a specific group of analytes or an alternative to the commonly used one, especially in the case of recovery problems.

Detect, remove and re-use: Sensing and degradation pesticides via 3D tilted ZMRs/Ag arrays

The objective of this study was to design a versatile and reusable pesticide detection surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate in combination with SERS enhancement and self-cleaning properties. In this paper, we present an inexpensive way to synthesize three-dimensional tilted ZnO micron rods with an Ag hierarchical structure (ZMRs/Ag arrays). Although expensive materials and complex methods were not used, the detection limit of thiram residue was 10^-11 M, with a quantitative relationship (R² = 0.9929) between the thiram concentration and the intensity of the SERS peaks. Additionally, the substrates exhibited fast and efficient photocatalytic activity for the degradation of adsorbed thiram, and the degradation rate in 30 min was close 100 % under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement and photocatalytic mechanism of this substrate were meticulously analyzed in detail. Furthermore, the residues of several mixed pesticides (e.g., thiram and methamidophos compounds) in various juices (such as grape, pear, orange, apple, and cherry juices) were quickly detected using ZMRs/Ag substrates. The main advantages of this substrate are recyclability, stability, selectivity, handiness, and cost-eff ;ectiveness. The substrate can prevent single-use problems associated with conventional SERS substrates and can be applied in pesticide residue and food security.

Ultra-thin bimetallic alloy nanowires with porous architecture/monolayer MoS2 nanosheet as a highly sensitive platform for the electrochemical assay of hazardous omethoate pollutant

A novel electrochemical biosensor was designed for sensitive detection of organophosphate pesticides based on three-dimensional porous bimetallic alloy architecture with ultrathin nanowires (PdCo NWs, PdCu NWs, PdNi NWs) and monolayer MoS₂ nanosheet (m-MoS₂). The bimetallic alloy NWs/m-MoS₂ nanomaterials were used as a sensing platform for electrochemical analysis of omethoate, a representative organophosphate pesticide, via acetylcholinesterase inhibition pathway. We demonstrated that all three bimetallic alloy NWs enhanced electrochemical responses of enzymatic biosensor, benefited from bimetallic synergistic action and porous structure. In particular, PdNi NWs outperformed other two bimetallic alloy. Moreover, PdNi NWs/m-MoS₂ as an electronic transducer is superior to the corresponding biosensor in the absence of monolayer MoS₂ nanosheet, which arise from synergistic signal amplification effect between different components. Under optimized conditions, the developed biosensor on the basis of PdNi NWs/m-MoS₂ shows outstanding performance for the electrochemical assay of omethoate, such as a wide linear range (10^-13 M∼10^-7 M), a low detection limit of 0.05 pM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, high sensitivity and long-time stability. The results demonstrate that bimetallic alloy NWs/m-MoS₂ nanocomposites could be excellent transducers to promote electron transfer for the electrochemical reactions, holding great potentials in the construction of current and future biosensing devices.

Oxidative stress related to chlorpyrifos exposure in rainbow trout: Acute and medium term effects on genetic biomarkers

Organophosphates (OPs) are derivatives of phosphoric acid widely used in agriculture as pesticides. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an OP that is extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is considered as a sentinel model species for ecotoxicology assessment in freshwater ecosystems. An exposure study was carried out on rainbow trout to investigate genetic responses to CPF-induced oxidative stress by Real-Time PCR, and to determine the accumulation dynamics of CPF and toxic metabolite chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPF-ox) in edible parts, by HPLC-MS/MS. Among the genes considered to be related to oxidative stress, a significant increase in HSP70 mRNA levels was observed in liver samples up to 14 days after CPF exposure (0.05 mg/L). CPF concentrations in muscle samples reach mean values of 285.25 ng/g within 96 hours of exposure, while CPF-ox concentrations were always under the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the applied method. Our findings lead us to consider HSP70 as a suitable genetic marker in rainbow trout for acute and medium-term monitoring of CPF exposure, complementary to analytical determinations.

In-syringe low-density ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the fast determination of pyrethroid insecticides in environmental water samples by HPLC-DAD

In-syringe low-density ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction.

Genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida X3 strain and its potential ability to bioremediate soil microcosms contaminated with methyl parathion and cadmium

A multifunctional Pseudomonas putida X3 strain was successfully engineered by introducing methyl parathion (MP)-degrading gene and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene in P. putida X4 (CCTCC: 209319). In liquid cultures, the engineered X3 strain utilized MP as sole carbon source for growth and degraded 100 mg L(-1) of MP within 24 h; however, this strain did not further metabolize p-nitrophenol (PNP), an intermediate metabolite of MP. No discrepancy in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cobalt (Co) was observed between the engineered X3 strain and its host strain. The inoculated X3 strain accelerated MP degradation in different polluted soil microcosms with 100 mg MP kg(-1) dry soil and/or 5 mg Cd kg(-1) dry soil; MP was completely eliminated within 40 h. However, the presence of Cd in the early stage of remediation slightly delayed MP degradation. The application of X3 strain in Cd-contaminated soil strongly affected the distribution of Cd fractions and immobilized Cd by reducing bioavailable Cd concentrations with lower soluble/exchangeable Cd and organic-bound Cd. The inoculated X3 strain also colonized and proliferated in various contaminated microcosms. Our results suggested that the engineered X3 strain is a potential bioremediation agent showing competitive advantage in complex contaminated environments.

Spirodela polyrhiza stimulates the growth of its endophytes but differentially increases their fenpropathrin-degradation capabilities

In situ remediation of organic contaminants via physical, chemical, and biological approaches is a practical technique for cleansing contaminated water and soil. In the present study, we showed that the three bacterial strains Pseudomonas sp. E1, Klebsiella terrigena E42, and Pseudomonas sp. E46, which can infect and colonize the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrhiza, utilize fenpropathrin as the sole carbon source for growth. S. polyrhiza helped enhance fenpropathrin degradation by E46 by 17.5%, only slightly improved fenpropathrin degradation by E42, and had no effect on strain E1. The application of plant exudates and extracts from fenpropathrin-unexposed/induced plants stimulated bacterial growth of the three strains, but resulted in differential fenpropathrin degradation, suggesting that not all plants and their endophytic bacteria are suitable for coupling phytoremediation and microbial-remediation. Moreover, addition of soil sediments to a microcosm not only stimulated the growth of strain E46 but also increased the rate of fenpropathrin degradation.

Determination of neonicotinoid insecticide residues in edible oils by water-induced homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

Development of a new version of homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction based on water induced followed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for extraction of neonicotinoid insecticides from oil samples.

Effect of exposure to contaminated pond sediments on survival, development, and enzyme and blood biomarkers in veined treefrog (Trachycephalus typhonius) tadpoles

Sediments are important elements of aquatic ecosystems and in general sediments accumulate diverse toxic substances. Amphibians potentially have a greater risk of exposure to contaminants in sediments, and the test of sediments provides first lines of evidences. Sediment outdoor microcosm experiments were conducted to analyze biological endpoints (survival, development, growth, and morphological and organ malformation), enzyme activity (butyrylcholinesterase, BChE; glutathione-S-transferase, GST; and catalase, CAT) and blood biomarkers in veined treefrog Trachycephalus typhonius tadpoles, a widespread neotropical species. Hatching (stage 23) of T. thyphonius was exposed until they reached metamorphosis (stage 46). Sediment tests were performed and four different treatments were used: three ponds (LTPA, ISP, and SSP) influenced by industrial and agricultural activities and a reference treatment from a forest (RFS). Physical and chemical variables and concentration of nutrients, pesticide residues, and metals were determined. One treatment was metal-rich (LPTA) and two were nutrient-rich (ISP and SSP). Sediment treatments had no significant effect on survival; in contrast they had significant sublethal effects on T. typhonius larval development and growth rates, and affected overall size and shape at stage 38. Principally, in LPTA animals were significantly larger than in RFS, exhibiting swollen bodies, tail muscles and tail fin. In addition, metamorphs from LPTA, ISP, and SSP were smaller and showed signs of emaciation by the end of the experiment. Statistical comparisons showed that the proportions of each type of morphological abnormalities (swollen bodies and diamond shape, gut uncoiling, diverted gut, stiff tails, polydactyly, and visceral and hindlimb hemorrhaging) were significantly greater in metal- and nutrient-rich sediment treatments. Moreover, activities of BChE, GST and CAT, as well as and presence of micronuclei, immature, mitotic, anucleated erythrocytes varied significantly among treatments. Our biological effects-based sediment study highlights the use of different biological endpoints and biomarkers on anuran larvae at sites where pond sediment is risky and sediment management should be considered. Finally, the information of those biological endpoints and biomarkers would be useful as a management tool to decide if there are sufficient exposures of tadpoles to suspected pollutants on sediment.

Differential pulse voltammetric determination of methyl parathion based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes-poly(acrylamide) nanocomposite film modified electrode

A sensitive electrochemical differential pulse voltammetry method was developed for detecting methyl parathion based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes-poly(acrylamide) (MWCNTs-PAAM) nanocomposite film modified glassy carbon electrode. The novel MWCNTs-PAAM nanocomposite, containing high content of amide groups, was synthesized by PAAM polymerizing at the vinyl group functionalized MWCNTs surface using free radical polymerization. The MWCNTs-PAAM nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical behavior and interference studies of MWCNTs-PAAM/GCE for methyl parathion were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the MWCNTs-PAAM/GCE exhibited a high adsorption and strong affinity toward methyl parathion compared with some metal ions and nitroaromatic compounds, which exist in environmental samples. The adsorbed amount of methyl parathion on the MWCNTs-PAAM/GCE approached the equilibrium value upon 5 min adsorption time. A linear calibration curve for methyl parathion was obtained in the concentration range from 5.0×10(-9) to 1.0×10(-5) mol L(-1), with a detection limit of 2.0×10(-9) mol L(-1). The MWCNTs-PAAM/GCE was proved to be a suitable sensing tool for the fast, sensitive and selective determination of methyl parathion in environmental water samples.