Pesticides in the Environment

Abstract

Applied all over the world, pesticides are some of the most dangerous pollutants of the environment becauseof their mobility and ability to accumulate in the environment and their consequent long-term adverseeffects on living organisms in general and human health in particular. For these reasons, it is essential tomonitor and analyze pesticide residues in the environment. This entry discusses the classification of pesticidesas well as their effects on and their fate in the environment. Since legal regulations have come intoforce stipulating highest permissible levels of pesticides and their residues in the environment, the analyticaltechniques applied are sensitive, selective, and appropriate to the low concentrations of the target analytes.The analysis of environmental samples for the presence of pesticides is very difficult: the processesinvolved in sample preparation are labor-intensive and time-consuming and may be a source of additionalcontamination and error; the low concentration levels of analytes and matrix complexity cause yet moreproblems. The extraction and determination of pesticide residues in environmental samples are discussed,as are the techniques most commonly used in these processes. The difficulties occurring at each stage in theanalytical procedure are outlined.