Comparison of QuEChERS with Traditional Sample Preparation Methods in the Determination of Multiclass Pesticides in Soil

Abstract

Abstract Background: The increased use of pesticides leads to permanent pollution of soil, and there is a need for continuous monitoring of these agrochemicals in soil. Objective: Three methods for the simultaneous determination of 12 pesticides belonging to eight chemical groups in soil samples were tested and compared based on analytical parameters. Methods: The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS); traditional solid–liquid extraction (SLE); and Soxhlet extraction were used for soil sample preparation, while detection and quantification of pesticides were performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The tested methods featured good sensitivity, and with the exception for carbofuran (Soxhlet method, LOD = 29 μg/kg), for the rest of the pesticides, the studied LODs were less than 12 μg/kg. Except for simazine and carbofuran, LODs obtained by Soxhlet extraction were lower than values obtained by other two methods, whereas QuEChERS gave lower LODs than the traditional SLE method for all compounds except atrazine and acetochlor. The recoveries obtained applying QuEChERS, traditional SLE, and Soxhlet methods for multiple analyses of soil samples fortified at 10, 75, and 200 μg/kg of each pesticide were in the ranges 54–103, 40–91, and 12–92%, respectively. Except for chlorothalonil, the highest recoveries were obtained by the QuEChERS method. Soxhlet was better than traditional SLE method for chlorothalonil, heptachlor, and aldrin; organophosphorus pesticides (fenitrothion and diazinon) and trifluralin, gave similar recoveries for both methods. All three methods were proven to be repeatable, with RSDs lower than 19%. Conclusions: Although all tested methods showed as satisfactory regarding most analytical parameters, QuEChERS method showed much better results in terms of confidence, indicating that traditional SLE and Soxhlet extraction still need improvements for determination of multiclass pesticides in soil samples.