Determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in grains by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was developed to separate and determine residues of 5 sulfonylurea herbicides in grains (wheat, barley, and corn). This work demonstrated the practicality of using CE for residue analysis of sulfonylureas. The method yielded good recoveries and adequate sensitivities at tolerance levels (0.05-0.1 ppm). The compounds investigated were metsulfuron methyl (Ally), thifensulfuron methyl (Harmony), chlorsulfuron (Glean), rimsulfuron (DPX-E9636), and tribenuron methyl (Express). Acetonitrile extracts of grain samples were partitioned with hexane and then cleaned up with cation exchange solid-phase extraction cartridges. Quantitation was performed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography using a high-sensitivity optical cell. Average recoveries at the 0.05 ppm level ranged from 72.9 to 118.5%. The lower limit of detection was approximately 0.02 ppm, except for rimsulfuron and tribenuron methyl, for which the lower limit of detection was 0.035 ppm. The method was less complicated and showed better sensitivity than current single-analyte liquid chromatographic enforcement methods.