A sampling and analytical method for the simultaneous determination of multiple organophosphorus pesticides in air

A sampling and analytical method for organophosphorus pesticides using a combined filter/XAD-2 sorbent sampler and gas chromatography (GC)-flame photometric detection (FPD) was developed. The method was evaluated for 19 organophosphorus pesticides based on the joint Occupational Safety and Health Administration/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Standards Completion Program methods evaluation protocol. The evaluation addressed analyte recovery, sampler capacity, sample stability, and precision and accuracy. Additional experiments addressed long-term sample stability (30-day storage), short-term exposure limits, limits of detection, and concentration levels down to 0.1 times an exposure limit value. Samples were stable for 30 days of storage under either ambient or refrigerated conditions. Based on this research, all 19 compounds studied can be successfully determined simultaneously using one method with an accuracy of +/- 25% of the true value 95 times out of 100.