Ferric chloride assisted QuEChERS method for separate detection of bifenazate and bifenazate-diazene in citrus fruits and its field validation.

Abstract

Bifenazate is widely recognized as an effective acaricide for citrus production in various regions. Detecting both the parent compound of bifenazate and its metabolite, bifenazate-diazene, simultaneously can be challenging owing to their tendency to undergo chemical interconversion. Current methods developed for detecting bifenazate or bifenazate-diazene residues often involve lengthy incubation periods and may not effectively separate the two compounds. In this study, we developed a convenient and fast method based on a modified QuEChERS method assisted by oxidants to concurrently detect bifenazate and bifenazate-diazene. Based on preliminary analysis, it appears that ferric chloride has the ability to react with a reducing substance present in citrus, which may prevent the reduction of bifenazate-diazene. The method was validated and applied in a field trial. This work reports a novel strategy to establish a balanced 'neutral' condition to create a potential method for efficient determination of bifenazate acaricide residues in fruit matrices.