Comparison of two ultrasound-enhanced microextractions combined with HPLC for determining acaricides in water

An ultrasound-enhanced in situ solvent formation microextraction has been developed first time and compared with ultrasound-enhanced ionic-liquid-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the HPLC analysis of acaricides in environmental water samples. A ionic liquid ([C8MIM][PF6]) was used as the green extraction solvent through two pathways. The experimental parameters, such as the type and volume of both of the extraction solvent disperser solvent, ultrasonication time, and salt addition, were investigated and optimized. The analytical performance using the optimized conditions proved the feasibility of the developed methods for the quantitation of trace levels of acaricides by obtaining limits of detection that range from 0.54 to 3.68 μg/L. The in situ solvent formation microextraction method possesses more positive characteristics than the ionic-liquid-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method (except for spirodiclofen determination) when comparing the validation parameters. Both methods were successfully applied to determining acaricides in real water samples.