Gas chromatography with electron-capture and nitrogen-phosphorus detection in the analysis of pesticides in honey after elution from a Florisil column -: Influence of the honey matrix on the quantitative results

A modified procedure to extract pesticides from honey samples that involves loading the honey onto a Florisil packed column and subsequently eluting it with an n-hexane-dichloromethane mixture is proposed. Anomalous high gas chromatographic responses and subsequently very high recoveries for the pesticides in the extracts were obtained by a conventional calibration with pesticide solutions in organic solvent. This effect was attributed to the honey matrix and can be circumvented by using spiked honey extracts as calibration standards. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.