SWEEP CO-DISTILLATION CLEANUP OF TOBACCO FOR DETERMINATION OF CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON PESTICIDES

During the attempt to transfer to tobacco the co-sweep-distillation method commonly used to determine organochlorine insecticides in foodstuffs, it became aparent that the recovery rates for some pesticides were not satisfactory. The low recovery rates result from a reaction of these pesticides with compounds of the tobacco extract during the co-sweep distillation process. After modifying the method by means of an additional pre-clean up step with a micro florisil column it can be used for the quick determination of organochlorine insecticides in tobacco. The recoveries of added pesticides at a level of 0,05-0,3 mg/kg are between 78 and 98%. The method described above had been compared to a method commonly used. The results of both methods were in good accordance. © 1979 J. F. Bergmann Verlag.