Pesticide residue analysis in cereal-based baby foods using multi-walled carbon nanotubes dispersive solid-phase extraction

In the present study, a new analytical method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of 15 organophosphorus pesticides, including some of their metabolites, (disulfoton-sulfoxide, ethoprophos, cadusafos, dimethoate, terbufos, disulfoton, chlorpyrifos-methyl, malaoxon, fenitrothion, pirimiphos-methyl, malathion, chlorpyrifos, terbufos-sulfone, disulfoton-sulfone and fensulfothion) in three different types of commercial cereal-based baby foods. Dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was used together with gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection. Most favorable conditions involved a previous ultrasound-assisted extraction of the sample with acetonitrile containing formic acid. After evaporation of the extract and redissolution in water, a dSPE procedure was carried out with MWCNTs. The whole method was validated in terms of repeatability, linearity, precision and accuracy and matrix effect was also evaluated. Absolute recoveries were in the range 64-105 % with relative standard deviation values below 7.6 %. Limits of quantification achieved ranged from 0.31 to 5.50 mu g/kg, which were lower than the European Union maximum residue limits for pesticide residues in cereal-based baby foods.