Simplified Cleanup and Liquid Chromatographic Ultraviolet Determination of Linuron and Three Metabolites in Potatoes
Abstract A simple and efficient method Is presented for the extraction, cleanup, and liquid chromatographic (LC) determination of linuron and 3 of Its metabolites, 3-(3,4-dlchlorophenyl)-1- methyl urea (DCPMU), 3-(3,4-dlchlorophenyl) urea (DCPU), and 3,4-dlchloroanillne (DCA), in potatoes. Samples are extracted with acetone, partitioned into dlchloromethanehexane (1 + 1), and cleaned up using disposable silica cartridges. LC determination Is performed using a LIChrosorb NH2 5 pm column, with an Isopropanol-lsooctane gradient mobile phase and UV detection at 248 nm. Recoveries of linuron and 2 of the metabolites from untreated samples fortified at 0.02-2 jtg/g ranged from 80 to 102%, while recoveries for the metabolite DCA ranged from 60 to 78%. The detection limit was 0.015 jtg/g for linuron and each metabolite; the minimum quantitation level was 0.5 fig/g. The developed method was applied to potato samples from a field experiment