Spectrophotometric Determination of Fluometuron Via Complexation with Fe(III): Method Development, Validation, and...

A simple, cost-effective, accurate, and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of fluometuron in environmental samples. The method is based on the formation of a metal complex between fluometuron and Fe(III), exhibiting maximum absorbance at 347 nm. The calibration curve followed Beer's law in the concentration range of 0.25-5.0 µg mL^- 1, with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.997, indicating excellent linearity. The method demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0787 µg mL^- 1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.238 µg mL^- 1. Recovery studies performed on spiked environmental matrices showed high accuracy, with percent recoveries ranging from 82.12 ± 2.95% to 97.80 ± 6.11%. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of fluometuron in real samples, including tap water, canal water, pond water, and soil, confirming its reliability for routine environmental monitoring.