GC-ECD determination of cypermethrin and its major metabolites in soil, elm bark, and litter

Abstract

An analytical method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of residues of four pairs of isomers of the pyrethroid insecticide cypermethrin, and their main metabolites, cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (CCA) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA), in elm bark, litter, and soil in the control of elm bark beetles, the vector of the Dutch elm disease. The residues of cypermethrin isomers and their metabolites were extracted with methanol under acidic conditions from elm bark, litter, and soil, cleaned up with liquid-liquid partitioning, and chromatographed by GC-ECD together after the CCA and PBA in the sample had been derivatized with α-bromo-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorotoluene. The average recoveries of cypermethrin isomer pairs were 82 to 112% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.3 to 10% at the fortification levels of 2, 10, 100 μg/g in elm bark, 2, 15, 150 μg/g in litter, and 0.2, 2, 20 μg/g in soil. The recoveries of cypermethrin metabolites were 83 to 107% with RSDs from 2 to 12% at the fortification levels of 0.5, 5, and 10 μg/g in elm bark, and litter, and 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/g in soil.