Rapid resolution liquid chromatography method for determination of malathion in pesticide formulation

This paper presents a new, simple, precise, and accurate rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) method for determination of an active ingredient malathion in the pesticide formulation. The analysis was performed on a Poroshell EC 120-C18 (50 mm × 3 mm, 2.7 μm) analytical column using isocratic elution with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile–water (50:50, v/v), a flow rate of 1 mL/min, a constant column temperature at 25 °C, and ultraviolet-diode array detection (UV-DAD) at 220 nm. The specificity, selectivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy were tested for the method validation according to the Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council (CIPAC) and Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO) guidelines and all tested parameters were found within acceptance criteria. The obtained results indicated that the proposed method can be used for routine analysis of the active ingredient malathion in the pesticide formulation “Etiol tecni” following the CIPAC and SANCO rules. The run time of analysis under the stipulated chromatographic conditions was about 2.5 min, meaning that the proposed method requires a small volume (< 1.5 mL) of the organic solvent (acetonitrile) making it cost-effective.