Large volume GC injection for the analysis of organophosphorus pesticides in vegetables using the through oven transfer adsorption desorption (TOTAD) interface

Electrochemiluminescence Sensor Based on CTS-MoS2 and AB@CTS with Functionalized Luminol for Detection of Malathion Pesticide Residues

The accumulation of pesticide residues poses a significant threat to the health of people and the surrounding ecological systems. However, traditional methods are not only costly but require expertise in analysis. An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor was developed using chitosan and molybdenum disulfide (CTS-MoS2), along with acetylene black (AB@CTS) for the rapid detection of malathion residues. Due to the weak interaction force, simple composite may lead to uneven dispersion; MoS2 and AB were dissolved in CTS solution, respectively, and utilized the biocompatibility of CTS to interact with each other on the electrode. The MoS2 nanosheets provided a large specific surface area, enhancing the utilization rate of catalytic materials, while AB exhibited excellent conductivity. Additionally, the dendritic polylysine (PLL) contained numerous amino groups to load abundant luminol to catalyze hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The proposed ECL aptasensor obtained a low detection limit of 2.75 × 10-3 ng/mL (S/N = 3) with a good detection range from 1.0 × 10-2 ng/mL to 1.0 × 103 ng/mL, demonstrating excellent specificity, repeatability, and stability. Moreover, the ECL aptasensor was successfully applied for detecting malathion pesticide residues in authentic samples with recovery rates ranging from 94.21% to 99.63% (RSD < 2.52%). This work offers valuable insights for advancing ECL sensor technology in future applications.

Preparation of a Bombyx mori acetylcholinesterase enzyme reagent through chaperone protein disulfide isomerase co-expression strategy in Pichia pastoris for detection of pesticides

The cholinesterase-based spectrophotometric methods for detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) and carbamate pesticides (CPs) have been proposed as a good choice for their high efficiency, simplicity and low cost. The enzyme, as a core reagent, is of great importance for the developed method. In this study, a protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) co-expression strategy in Pichia pastoris was employed to enhance the yield of recombinant Bombyx mori acetylcholinesterase 2 (rBmAChE2). Subsequently, the prepared enzyme reagent was used to detect the pesticides in real samples. The results showed that the co-expression of rBmAChE2 with PDI increased the enzyme activity of the supernatant and the yield of purified rBmAChE2 up to 60 U/mL and 6 mg/L respectively, both almost 5-fold higher than those of original recombinant strain. In addition, 5 g/L gelatin reagent could help to preserve nearly 90% of the rBmAChE2 activity for 90 days in 4°C and the limits of detections (LODs) of the rBmAChE2-based assay for 20 kinds of OPs or CPs ranged from 0.010 to 2.725 mg/kg, which were lower than most of indexes present in current Chinese National Standard (GB/T 5009.199-2003) or the maximum residue limits (GB 2763-2019). Furthermore, the detection results of 23 vegetable samples were verified by the ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method, which indicated that the rBmAChE2-based assay in this work is suitable for pesticide residues rapid detection.

Thiol-suppressed I2-etching of AuNRs: acetylcholinesterase-mediated colorimetric detection of organophosphorus pesticides

For the first time it is demonstrated that sulfhydryl compounds can suppress longitudinal etching of gold nanorods via consuming oxidizers, which provides a new signaling mechanism for colorimetric sensing. As a proof of concept, a colorimetric assay is developed for detecting organophosphorus pesticides, which are most widely used in modern agriculture to improve food production but with high toxicity to animals and the ecological environment. Triazophos was selected as a model organophosphorus pesticide. In the absence of triazophos, the active acetylcholinesterase can catalyze the conversion of acetylthiocholine iodide to thiocholine whose thiol group can suppress the I₂-induced etching of gold nanorods. When triazophos is present, the activity of AchE is inhibited, and I₂-induced etching of gold nanorods results in triazophos concentration-dependent color change from brown to blue, pink, and red. The aspect ratio of gold nanorods reduced with gradually blue-shifted longitudinal absorption. There was a linear detection range from 0 to 117 nM (R² = 0.9908), the detection limit was 4.69 nM, and a good application potential was demonstrated by the assay of real water samples. This method will not only contribute to public monitoring of organophosphorus pesticides but also has verified a new signaling mechanism which will open up a new path to develop colorimetric detection methods. It has been first found that sulfhydryl compounds can suppress longitudinal etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs) via consuming oxidizers, which provides a new signaling mechanism for colorimetric sensing. As a proof of concept, a colorimetric assay is developed for sensitively detecting organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). It will not only contribute to public monitoring of OPs but also has verified a new signaling mechanism which will open up a new path to develop multicolor colorimetric methods.

Magnetic nanoparticles assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of chloramphenicol in water samples

This work describes the development of a new methodology based on magnetic nanoparticles assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME-MNPs) for preconcentration and extraction of chloramphenicol (CAP) antibiotic residues in water. The approach is based on the use of decanoic acid as the extraction solvent followed by the application of MNPs to magnetically retrieve the extraction solvent containing the extracted CAP. The coated MNPs were then desorbed with methanol, and the clean extract was analysed using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. Several important parameters, such as the amount of decanoic acid, extraction time, stirring rate, amount of MNPs, type of desorption solvent, salt addition and sample pH, were evaluated and optimized. Optimum parameters were as follows: amount of decanoic acid: 200 mg; extraction time: 10 min; stirring rate: 800 rpm; amount of MNPs: 60 mg; desorption solvent: methanol; salt: 10%; and sample pH, 8. Under the optimum conditions, the method demonstrated acceptable linearity (R ² = 0.9933) over a concentration range of 50-1000 µg l^-1. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were 16.5 and 50.0 µg l^-1, respectively. Good analyte recovery (91-92.7%) and acceptable precision with good relative standard deviations (0.45-6.29%, n = 3) were obtained. The method was successfully applied to tap water and lake water samples. The proposed method is rapid, simple, reliable and environmentally friendly for the detection of CAP.

Novel sample preparation approaches in gas chromatographic analysis: Promising ideas

The development of sample preparation procedures is still a dynamic process despite a number of already proposed techniques. The main challenge in this research field is to fully replace classical procedures like liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction in gas chromatographic analysis. Some progress has been already achieved for the last 20 years when miniaturized techniques were incorporated in ISO standards. The current review is focused on novel approaches in sample treatment that appeared since 2010. It includes research studies describing non-conventional instrumental design available to inspire future progress in the field. A combination of a few extraction principles and supporting with additional treatment are the main core suggested for improvement of sample preparation efficiency. This requires good compatibility of extraction media, assessment of multiple experimental parameters, and potential automatization possibilities.

A novel high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence analysis coupled with in situ degradation-derivatization technique for quantitation of organophosphorus thioester pesticide residues in tea

A novel high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence analysis in combination with in situ degradation-derivatization (ISD-D) technique was developed for simultaneous determination of seven organophosphorus thioester pesticides (OPTPs) in tea. The ISD-D technique was based on degradation of OPTPs by a nucleophilic substitution reaction between phenylbutane-1,2,3-trione-2-oxime and OPTPs, which can give thiol degradation products (DPs). The thiol DPs obtained were derivatized with the novel derivatization reagent N-(4-(carbazole-9-yl)-phenyl)-N-maleimide (NCPM) in a syringe. Attractively, NCPM itself did not fluoresce, whereas the derivatives of the thiol DPs fluoresced intensely, with excitation and emission maxima at 290 nm and 368 nm, respectively, which extraordinary reduced the background interference and increased the detection sensitivity for thiol DPs. Excellent linearity (R² > 0.995) for all OPTPs was achieved, with limits of detection and limits of quantitation ranging from 0.23 to 0.45 μg/kg and from 0.75 to 1.43 μg/kg, respectively. Satisfactory recoveries ranging from 90.5% to 96.0% were obtained for all OPTPs. The ISD-D technique provided a novel and sensitive strategy for quantitation of trace amounts of OPTPs in real samples. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Optimization of a methodology for the simultaneous determination of deltamethrin, permethrin and malathion in stored wheat samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop and HPLC-UV

The purpose of this study was to investigate common pesticides in stored wheat at Kermanshah province's silos in Iran. A simple, inexpensive, reliable and environmentally friendly method based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop was developed. The analytical characteristics of the method were determined. Also, various parameters such as the materials of the silos, types of ownerships of the silos, geographic orientation of silo locations and climatic conditions of silo locations on pesticide residues in studied wheat samples were investigated. Among all the studied parameters, the climatic conditions of silo locations showed the highest influence on pesticide residues in wheat samples. Generally, 61.2% of the samples had pesticide levels below the method detection limits and 38.8% of the total samples had at least one of the understudied pesticides. Also, 13.9% of the samples had deltamethrin residues, 16.7% of the samples had permethrin, 22.2% of the samples had malathion, 11.1% of the samples had both permethrin and malathion and 2.8% of the samples had both deltamethrin and malathion. The results revealed that the residues of deltamethrin and malathion were lower than the standard level announced by European Union regulation and only three samples contained permethrin higher than Europe standard level.

Trace analysis of some organophosphorus pesticides in rice samples using ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

An ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of a floating organic drop method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography was developed for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of trace amounts of organophosphorus pesticides in rice samples. Variables affecting the performance of both steps were thoroughly investigated. Some effective parameters on extraction were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, recoveries for rice sample are in the range of 58.0-66.0%. The calibration graphs are linear in the range of 4-800 μg/kg and, limits of detection and limits of quantification are in the range of 1.5-3 and 4.2-8.5 μg/kg, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 50.0 μg/kg of organophosphorus pesticides in rice sample are in the range of 4.4-5.1% (n = 5). The obtained results show that proposed method is a fast and simple method for the determination of pesticides in cereals.

On-line coupled reversed phase liquid chromatography and gas chromatography: a new sealing design for the TOTAD interface

Total elimination of the eluent resulting from the pre-separation step is the critical point when coupling LC to GC. As a helium flow is applied during transfer to eliminate the solvent, the interface used for linking the two chromatographic systems must be properly sealed to prevent gas leaks and to achieve an effective evaporation of the eluent. The aim of this work was to improve the performance of the Through Oven Transfer Adsorption Desorption (TOTAD) interface to remove the eluent coming from LC by modifying the way in which the injector sealing system is held in place. As with the original design, the new approach makes it possible to transfer high volumes at a high rate, but the proposed modification also simplifies the experimental work because the displacement risk of the sealing system is reduced. Analyses of an ester mixture by RPLC-GC were performed to confirm the applicability of the system modification. In this work, volumes of up to 5 ml, at flow rates as high as 2 ml/min, were transferred from LC to GC with almost complete solvent removal even when working in reversed phase mode in the LC step.

Sample preparation method for the analysis of some organophosphorus pesticides residues in tomato by ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

A very simple and economic method for organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) residues analysis in tomato by means of gas chromatography-flame photometric detection (GC-FPD) has been developed. The method involves a rapid and small-scale extraction. The sample was homogenised and extraction of the OPPs with acetone was carried out assisted by sonication. No clean-up or evaporation were required after extraction. Pre-concentration of the OPPs from the acetone extract was done by using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique. Chlorobenzene was added in micro-level volume as extraction solvent and triphenylphosphate as internal standard in DLLME procedure. The method showed good linearity over the range assayed (0.5-1000μgkg(-1)) and the detection limits for the pesticides studied varied from 0.1 to 0.5μgkg(-1). Repeatability studies resulted a relative standard deviation lower than 10% in all cases. The proposed method was used to determine pesticides levels in tomatoes grown in open field.

Analysis of pesticides in nuts by online reversed-phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography using the through-oven transfer adsorption/desorption interface

A new method to determine pesticide residues in nuts is presented, in which the pesticides are extracted from samples with a small amount of ethyl acetate and anhydrous sodium sulfate. No additional cleanup or concentration steps are necessary. The extract is directly injected into the high-pressure liquid chromatograph, where preseparation of the pesticide residues from other components coextracted from the nuts is carried out using methanol/water as the eluent. The selected liquid chromatography fraction containing the pesticides is automatically transferred to the gas chromatograph using the through-oven transfer adsorption/desorption interface. The calculated limits of detection for each pesticide varied from 0.1 to 61.3 microg/kg. The repeatabilities of the analysis and the overall procedure (extraction and analysis) were satisfactory. No variations in the retention time were observed. The method was applied to the analysis of pistachio nut, peanut, walnut, hazelnut, and sunflower seed.

Modification and re-validation of the ethyl acetate-based multi-residue method for pesticides in produce

The ethyl acetate-based multi-residue method for determination of pesticide residues in produce has been modified for gas chromatographic (GC) analysis by implementation of dispersive solid-phase extraction (using primary-secondary amine and graphitized carbon black) and large-volume (20 muL) injection. The same extract, before clean-up and after a change of solvent, was also analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). All aspects related to sample preparation were re-assessed with regard to ease and speed of the analysis. The principle of the extraction procedure (solvent, salt) was not changed, to avoid the possibility invalidating data acquired over past decades. The modifications were made with techniques currently commonly applied in routine laboratories, GC-MS and LC-MS-MS, in mind. The modified method enables processing (from homogenization until final extracts for both GC and LC) of 30 samples per eight hours per person. Limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.01 mg kg(-1) were achieved with both GC-MS (full-scan acquisition, 10 mg matrix equivalent injected) and LC-MS-MS (2 mg injected) for most of the pesticides. Validation data for 341 pesticides and degradation products are presented. A compilation of analytical quality-control data for pesticides routinely analyzed by GC-MS (135 compounds) and LC-MS-MS (136 compounds) in over 100 different matrices, obtained over a period of 15 months, are also presented and discussed. At the 0.05 mg kg(-1) level acceptable recoveries were obtained for 93% (GC-MS) and 92% (LC-MS-MS) of pesticide-matrix combinations.