Selective solid-phase extraction using molecularly imprinted polymer for the analysis of polar organophosphorus pesticides in water and soil samples

Abstract

An analytical methodology for the analysis of four polar organophophorus pesticides (monocrotophos, mevinphos, phosphamidon, omethoate) in water and soil samples incorporating a molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) process using a monocrotophos-imprinted polymer was developed. Binding study demonstrated that the polymer showed excellent affinity and high selectivity to monocrotophos. The MISPE procedure including the clean-up step to remove any interferences was optimized. The accuracy and selectivity of the MISPE process developed were verified using a non-imprinted (blank) polymer and a classical ENVI-18 cartridge as the SPE matrix during control experiments. The use of MISPE improved the accuracy and precision of the GC method and lowered the limit of detection. The recoveries of four polar organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) extracted from 1 L of river water at a 100 ng/L spike level were in the range of 77.5–99.1%. The recoveries of organophosphorus pesticides extracted from a 5-g soil sample at the 100 μg/kg level were in the range of 79.3–93.5%. The limit of detection varied from 10 to 32 ng/L in water and from 12 to 34 μg/kg in soil samples. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) enabled the selective extraction of four organophosphorus pesticides successfully from water and soil samples, demonstrating the potential of molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction for rapid, selective, and cost-effective sample pretreatment.