Determination of pesticide residues in complex matrices using multi-walled carbon nanotubes as reversed-dispersive solid-phase extraction sorbent.

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a reversed-dispersive solid-phase extraction (r-DSPE) material combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of 14 pesticides in complex matrices. Four vegetables (leek, onion, ginger and garlic) were selected as the complex matrices for validating this new method. This technique involved the acetonitrile-based sample preparation and MWCNTs were used as the r-DSPE material in the cleanup step. Two important parameters influencing the MWCNTs efficiency, the external diameters and the amount of MWCNTs used, were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, recoveries of 78-110% were obtained for the target analytes in the complex matrices at two concentration levels of 0.02 and 0.2 mg/kg. In addition, the RSD values ranged from 1 to 13%. LOQs and LODs for 14 pesticides ranged from 2 to 20 μg/kg and from 1 to 6 μg/kg, respectively.