Analysis of Pesticide Residues by on Line Coupled Liquid Chromatography-Gas Chromatography Using the Through Oven Transfer Adsorption Desorption Interface

Abstract

Pesticides, compounds of many different chemical natures, are used to protect crops from pests, and more than 800 are currently in use all over the word. However, while pesticides help improve crop production, the presence of pesticide residues in the environment and food cause harm to both the environment itself and human health. For this reason, pesticide residues need to be monitored and controlled in food and in the environment by sensitive and, if possible, rapid analytical methods. Gas Chromatography has been the most widely used technique to date, while large volume injection and on line coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography are considered suitable to reduce the time needed for analysis and increase sensitivity. For its part, the Through Oven Transfer Adsorption Desorption interface can be used to inject large volume of polar and non-polar solvents and also on line coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography when liquid chromatography is carried out in normal or reversed phase.Using this interface, several methods have been developed to analyse pesticide residues in food and environmental samples by Large Volume Injection or by on line coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography. This chapter focuses on these methods, after presenting a description of the Through Oven Transfer Adsorption Desorption interface and its operation mode. All the presented methods practically eliminate the time-consuming sample preparation step and provide high sensitivity and good repeatability.KeywordsFoodEnvironmental safetyPesticide residue analysisOlive oilNutsEnvironmental waterVegetablesLarge volume injectionOn line coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatographyThrough oven transfer adsorption desorption InterfaceMass-spectrometry