A review of pretreatment and analytical methods for phenoxyacetic acid herbicides in food

Phenoxyacetic acid (POA) herbicides are globally utilized in agriculture for managing broad-leaved and budding weeds due to their effectiveness and cost efficiency. Nevertheless, their irrational application has been associated with residues in agricultural products, which pose a threat to human health through direct consumption or bioaccumulation within the food chain. Exposure to POAs, whether direct or indirect, can elicit adverse health effects including skin irritation, nausea, and elevated blood pressure. However, the analysis of POA in food matrices is challenged by complex matrix effects, the requirement for trace-level detection, and the need for efficient sample pretreatment, making it crucial to develop fast, sensitive, and accurate determination methods. Hence, this study offers a thorough examination of recent developments in pretreatment techniques and analytical methods for POAs since 2017, pretreatment methods for POAs include liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid-phase extraction (SPE) and different microextraction methods. Analytical methods involve liquid chromatography-based methods, gas chromatography-based methods and sensor methods. Furthermore, development prospects in pretreatment and analytical methods for POAs are also deliberated.