Magnetic solid-phase extraction of five pyrethroids from environmental water samples followed by ultrafast liquid chromatography analysis

In this study, the polystyrene-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs/PSt) were successfully prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. The as-prepared MNPs/PSt were used as the adsorbent in magnetic solid phase extraction of five pyrethroids, including lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, permethrin, bifenthrin, in environmental water samples. The five pyrethroids were determined by ultra fast liquid chromatography-ultraviolet spectrometry. The influencing factors, including amount of MNPs/Pst, extraction time, pH value, type and volume of desorption solvent and desorption time, were examined and optimized. The extraction recoveries obtained with merely 50 mg of MNPs/Pst were very satisfactory. The whole extraction process could be completed within 0.5 h. The MNPs/PSt can be reused after an easy washing process. Thus, a simple, green, economical, time saving and effective method for pyrethroids analysis in environmental water samples was established. A high enrichment factor of 500 was achieved and the limits of detection for lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, permethrin, bifenthrin were 0.015 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 0.012 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 0.026 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 0.020 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 0.013 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), respectively. Recoveries obtained by analyzing spiked water samples at three concentration levels (0.100 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 1.000 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1), 10.000 +/- 0.001 ng mL(-1)) were between 78.97 +/- 8.38% and 96.05 +/- 8.38%. The standard curves for the five pyrethroids showed good linearity with the correlation coefficients in the range of 0.9994-0.9999. The intra-day and inter-day precision were satisfactory with the RSDs in the range of 2.05-5.52% and 2.73-8.38%, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.