Photochemically-induced fluorescence determination of sulfonylurea herbicides using micellar media

An analytical method based on the use of UV irradiation to produce fluorescent derivatives from four non-fluorescent sulfonylurea herbicides, including chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron methyl, 3-rimsulfuron and sulfometuron methyl is described. Their photochemically-induced fluorescence (PIF) properties in several solvents (water, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol and their binary mixtures with water) and micellar solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) are reported. Physicochemical variable influencing the sensitivity of the method have been optimized. A PIF method is developed for the determination of the four herbicides under study. Micellar media are found to provide the best analytical figures of merits. Linear dynamic ranges are established over about two orders of magnitude. The limit of detection (LOD) range from 0.2 to 6 ng ml(-1) according to the compound, with relative standard deviation (RSD) between 1.2 and 3.9%. Examples of applications to the analysis of these herbicides in spiked river water samples are given. The mean recoveries range from 80 to 104%.