Analysis of Dairy Products for Chlorinated Insecticide Residues by Thin Layer Chromatography
Abstract Butterfat and milk samples were analyzed for chlorinated insecticides by thin layer chromatography (TLC) on aluminum oxide or silica gel plates containing a small amount of silver nitrate. The adsorbent was washed with distilled water before preparing the plates. A one-step cleanup on a partially inactivated Florisil column was performed prior to TLC analysis. For color development, the TLC plates were sprayed lightly with hydrogen peroxide to suppress possible interference from fat and then steamed before exposure to ultraviolet light to accelerate and intensify the color reaction. Rf values for a number of solvent systems on aluminum oxide and silica gel plates are given. With this procedure, 0.05 μg or less of insecticide can be detected in a 0.4 g butterfat sample or the extract from 10 ml milk.