A new method for the determination of clomazone, fipronil, tebuconazole, propiconazole, and azoxystrobin in samples of rice paddy soil is presented. The extraction of the pesticides from soil samples was performed by using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. Some extraction conditions such as salt addition, sample acidification, use of buffer, and cleanup step were evaluated. The optimized method dealt with a single extraction of the compounds under study with acidified acetonitrile, followed by the addition of MgSO(4) and NaCl prior to the final determination by liquid chromatography-atmospheric chemical pressure ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Validation studies were carried out in soil samples. Recoveries of the spiked samples ranged between 70.3 and 120% with relative standard deviation lower than 18.2%. The limits of quantification were between 10 and 50 μg kg(-1). The method was applied to the analysis of real samples of soils where rice is cultivated.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the determination of atrazine, simazine, cyproconazole, tebuconazole, and epoxiconazole in mineral water employing the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of a floating organic drop with determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. A mixed solution of 250 μL 1-dodecanol and 1250 μL methanol was injected rapidly into 10 mL aqueous solution (pH 7.0) with 2% w/v NaCl. After centrifugation for 5 min at 2000 rpm, the organic solvent droplets floated on the surface of the aqueous solution and the floating solvent solidified. The method limits of detection were between 3.75 and 37.5 ng/L and limits of quantification were between 12.5 and 125 ng/L. The recoveries ranged from 70 to 118% for repeatability and between 76 and 95% for intermediate precision with a relative standard deviation from 2 to 18% for all compounds. Low matrix effect was observed. The proposed method can be successfully applied in routine analysis for determination of pesticide residues in mineral water samples, allowing for monitoring of triazine and triazoles at levels below the regulatory limits set by international and national legislations.

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A simple, rapid, efficient, and environmentally friendly method was developed for the preconcentration of atrazine, simazine, diuron, bentazone, tebuconazole, and fipronil from water. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was employed with determination by liquid chromatography -tandem mass spectrometry. The volumes of extraction and disperser solvents, the concentration of sodium chloride, and the pH were optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum conditions involved the use of 150 µL of 1:1 (v/v) monochlorobenzene:dichlorobenzene as the extraction solvent, 2 mL acetonitrile as the disperser solvent, and 10 mL of sample at pH 3.0. The accuracy was evaluated in terms of recovery values that were from 54 to 112%. The relative standard deviations ranged from 4 to 27%. The limits of quantification were between 0.005 and 0.05 µg L 1 . The optimized method had low matrix effects for the analytes and the results demonstrated application for the determination of pesticides in water.