Liquid chromatographic method for determination of sulfamethazine residues in milk: collaborative study

Seven laboratories participated in a collaborative study of a liquid chromatographic (LC) method for determination of sulfamethazine (SMZ) residues in raw milk that were previously frozen. The milk is extracted with chloroform, the chloroform is evaporated, and the residue is suspended in hexane and extracted with 0.1M KH2PO4 (PDP) solution. The PDP extract is analyzed by LC on a C18 column with methanol-0. 1M PDP (30 + 70) as mobile phase. Individual laboratories were instructed to analyze 5 replicates each of control milk, fortified control milk at 2 levels, and 3 blind samples. Blind samples included raw milk fortified with SMZ at 10 and 20 ppb and 1 sample containing SMZ residue from a dosed cow. For blind fortified samples containing 10 ppb SMZ, average recovery and relative standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility (RSDr and RSRR) based on the results from 6 of the 7 participating laboratories were 8.21 ppb, 7.16%, and 23.16%, respectively. Similar data, including results from a seventh participant who reported instrumental problems but was not eliminated by the Dixon outlier test, were 9.13 ppb, 8.38%, and 31.94%, respectively. These results demonstrate that the method is suitable for the determination of SMZ residues in milk at 10 ppb and above. The method was adopted first action by AOAC International.