Development of preconcentration strategies for pesticides analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE) in fruits and tubers

Author(s)

Clóvis Lúcio da Silva

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2003-04-30

Examining board members

Marina Franco Maggi Tavares; Emanuel Carrilho; Isabel Cristina Sales Fontes Jardim; José Alberto Fracassi da Silva; Jorge Moreira Vaz

• Advisor: Marina Franco Maggi Tavares

Abstract

The use of pesticides constitutes an important aspect of modem agriculture, with unquestionable impact on crop production. However, food contamination by pesticide residues is a serious risk for the consumer. The determination of pesticide residues in food usually involves laborious procedures, with time consuming sample clean up and preconcentration steps prior to the analysis. In this work, alternative methodologies for extraction, pre-concentration and analysis of pesticide multi-residue in water, fruits and tubers were developed. Capillary electrophoresis in its micellar mode (micellar electrokinetic Chromatography, MEKC) under low and high electroosmotic flow (EOF) conditions was used for the separation of pesticides from different chemical classes (triazines, organophosphorous, carbendamidazols, phenilurea and carbamates). Optimized electrolyte compositions were: high EOF - 10 mmol L-1 tetraborate (pH 9.3), 50 mmol L-1 SDS, 5 % ethanol and 5 % propanol; low EOF - 10 mmol L-1 phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), 25 mmol L-1 SDS and 10 % methanol. On-line preconcentration strategies for MEKC known as sweeping (SW) and stacking with reverse migrating micelles with (SRW) and without (SRMM) a plug of water prior to the sample plug as well as modified versions of SRW and RMM were evaluated and contrasted in terms of signal enhancement factor (peak height ratios) Signal enhancement factors for SW varied from 2,6 to 19 for SRW from 2,9 to 15, whereas for modified-SRMM from 5,5 to 15. Among the extraction methodologies, several procedures involving solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) were tested. It is worth mentioning a strategy based upon cloud point extraction, which was applied to pineapple samples and a procedure denominated matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), which combines low cost, saves in solvents and easy implementation, applied to carrots. The combination of off-line SPE and the above mentioned on-line preconcentration strategies allowed the determination of selected pesticides in the 0.1 &#181;/L level (drinking water sample). A complete methodology involving MSPD for extraction and sample clean-up followed by MEKC in high EOF was optimized and a few figures of merit were established based on method validation protocols for pesticide analysis (IAEA-FAO). Good linearity (r>0.99) was obtained for all pesticides under investigation, except for linuron and dimetoate. The method accuracy was estimated by recovery tests. Two level standard spiking were conducted with recoveries of 51 to 89 % for the lowest level and 67 to 100 % for the highest level. Acceptable intra-day precision was obtained (CV < 15 %). The optimized method was applied to the analysis of multi-residue pesticides in carrots. In a sample acquired in a local grocery store an unusual amount of triazines was found: simazine (O,88 mg/kg), atrazine (0,13 mg/kg) and propazine (0,088mg/kg). (AU)