Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic droplets for simultaneous extraction of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplets (DLLME-SFO) has been applied to the extraction of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and pesticides from water samples. The PPCPs included bisphenol A, sodium diclofenac, gemfibrozil, furosemide, glibenclamide, nifedipine, nimesulide, propylparaben and triclocarban. The pesticides included 2,4-D, atrazine, azoxystrobin, cyproconazole, clomazone, dichloran, difenoconazole, diuron, epoxiconazole, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, fipronil, iprodione, irgarol, propanil, propiconazole, tebuconazole, and trifloxystrobin. The type and volume of extraction solvent, type and volume of disperser solvent, ionic strength and pH were optimized. All species were then quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 50 to 500 ng L-1, and the linearity ranged from the LOQ of each compound up to 10,000 ng L-1. Recoveries ranged from 63 to 120 %, with relative standard deviations lower than 14 %. It is making use of a low-toxicity and affordable extraction solvent (1-dodecanol) and was successfully applied to the analysis of surface water samples.