Improving the solid-phase extraction of "quat" pesticides from water samples. Removal of interferences

A novel strategy, based on the addition of a cationic surfactant, for preventing the interferences associated with a diminution in the efficacy of solid-phase extraction (SPE) with silica cartridges of diquat, paraquat and difenzoquat in water is developed. Conditions for extraction are optimised with respect to pH, cationic surfactant and its concentration. Humic acids, anionic surfactants, inorganic salts and other organic contaminants like pesticides, phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls produce the studied interferences. The best performance is shown in the improvement of the "quats" recovery from waters with high levels of humic acids and anionic surfactants (recovery is increased from ca. 30% to more than 80%). Unfortunately, the strong interference from inorganic salts remains. The presence in the water sample of other organic contaminants only affected the extraction efficiency of difenzoquat at high concentrations (more than 1 mg/l). Analytic utility is illustrated by selective measurements of the three herbicides, in real water samples. Overall, the results show that in spite of its drawbacks, SPE is a useful technique that allows the detection and quantification of the "quats" at limits below 100 ng/l as established by the European Union.