Simultaneous determination of 60 pesticides in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Abstract

A new method for the simultaneous determination of 60 pesticides by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry is presented. The analyte mixture contains representatives from each of the organonitrogen, organochlorine and organophosphorus classes. Both polyacrylate-and polydimethylsiloxane-coated fibres are used to extract the analytes directly from the samples over the concentration range 0.1–100 µg l–1. The performances of the two types of coating were compared. The limits of detection with both coatings were determined to be at the ng l–1 to sub-ng l–1 levels, depending on the selectivity of the coating for an analyte. The method was applied to the analysis of samples obtained from the Russian and Canadian Arctic. A contaminated groundwater sample and a contaminated soil sample, both containing metolachlor, were analysed by the proposed method and the results were found to be comparable to those obtained by a liquid–liquid extraction method. Orange juice was spiked with the 60 pesticides and their recoveries were determined.