HOMOGENEOUS LIQUID–LIQUID MICROEXTRACTION VIA FLOTATION ASSISTANCE FOLLOWED BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY AS AN EFFICIENT AND SENSITIVE TECHNIQUE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ABAMECTIN IN AQUATIC SAMPLES

Abstract

Homogeneous liquid–liquid microextraction via flotation assistance (HLLME-FA) and high-performance liquid chromatography-UV detection was presented for the extraction and determination of abamectin in aquatic samples. Toluene at microliter volume level and acetone were used as extraction and homogeneous solvents, respectively. In this research, a special extraction cell was designed to facilitate collection of the low-density extraction solvent. No centrifugation was required in this procedure. The water sample solution was added into the extraction cell, which contained an appropriate mixture of extraction and homogeneous solvents. Using air flotation, extraction solvent was collected at the conical part of the designed cell. The effects of different variables on the efficiency of the extraction such as kind and the volume of extraction and homogeneous solvents, ionic strength, and extraction time were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 2.0–500 µ g L−1 for B1a and 4.0–500 µ g L−1 for B1b with detection limits of 0.5 µ g L−1 for B1a and 1.7 µ g L−1 for B1b. HLLME-FA is a fast, simple, and efficient method for the determination of abamectin in aquatic samples.