AN EVALUATION OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY UV FOR THE MULTI-RESIDUE ANALYSIS OF ORGANOPHOSPHOROUS PESTICIDES IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATER

In this study isocratic high performance liquid chromatography in the reversed-phase mode (RP-8 or RP-18 column) with UV-detection (254 nm), was evaluated for the analysis, directly or after extraction, of organophosphorous pesticides in environmental water. Fifteen pesticides were studied and good resolution was obtained for eight by direct analysis of a multi-residue water sample. Reproducibility in terms of retention times was found to be very good. Linear calibration curves were obtained down to 0.5ng/μL (3ng injected) with a coefficient of variation near 10%. The limit of quantitation for direct analysis was found to be 0.5mg/L (3ng) in water. However, by extraction with methylene chloride or ethyl acetate and concentration of the extract some of the pesticides could be determined at 0.5μg/L (ppb) in water. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.