Pesticide residue determination in groundwater using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Residues of four pesticides in groundwaters were surveyed during one year in an agricultural area in southern Brazil. The methods for separation, identification and quantification of the compounds included high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and liquid chromatography with electrospray interface tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). A pre-concentration step based on solid-phase extraction with 200 mg C18 cartridges was applied. All the analytical parameters were within the limits suggested for the validation of chromatographic methods. The LOQs for the methods, considering the 250-fold pre-concentration step, were 0.2 μg L-1 for all pesticides by HPLC-DAD, 4.0 ng L-1 for clomazone, carbofuran and tebuconazole and 40.0 ng L-1 for 2,4-D by LC-ESI-MS/MS. In groundwater samples, 2,4-D was not detected, and carbofuran, clomazone and tebuconazole were detected in concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 10.40 μg L-1, from 0.20 to 0.82 μg L-1 and from 0.20 to 4.16 μg L-1, respectively. The methods proved to be adequate for the analysis of pesticides in groundwaters.