Coupling polymer monolith microextraction to gas chromatography: determination of pyrethroids in water samples

A sensitive method has been established for the determination of the pyrethroids (fenpropathrin and permethrin) in water samples. It is based on microextraction using monoliths composed of a poly-(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) copolymer, and on detection by gas chromatography coupled to electron-capture detection. Experimental parameters including the flow rate and volume of the samples, the type, volume and flow rate of eluent and effect of salt addition were optimized. The limits of detection for fenpropathrin and permethrin are 0.5 and 2.7 ng mL(-1), respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 5.5% and 9.0%. The method was successfully applied to determination of two pyrethroids in the tap and lake water samples and the accuracy was evaluated by recovery experiments.