Determination of alachlor residues in pepper and pepper leaf using gas chromatography and confirmed via mass spectrometry with matrix protection.

Alachlor residues were determined in pepper and pepper leaf, after 49 days of manufacturer-recommended single- and double-dose application to the soil and plant. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, partitioned with n-hexane, and purified through solid-phase extraction, and finally detected with a gas chromatography-microelectron capture detector. The linearity of the analytical response across the studied range of concentrations (0.05-4.0 µg/mL) was excellent, obtaining coefficients of determination (r(2) ) of 0.999. Recovery studies were carried out on spiked pepper and pepper leaf samples, at two concentrations levels (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg), with three replicates performed at each level. Mean recoveries of 73.1-109.0% with relative standard deviations of 1.3-2.3% were obtained. The method was successfully applied to field samples, and alachlor residue was found in pepper (0.02 mg/kg) and pepper leaf (0.03 mg/kg), at levels lower than the maximum residue limits (0.2 mg/kg) set by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. The field-detected residues were further confirmed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with the help of pepper leaf matrix protection.