The Determination of Organophosphorous Pesticides by EPA Method 8141B Using Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)

Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are the most widely used pesticides in the world. They are readily hydrolyzed and therefore do not persist in the environment for very long nor accumulate in the body fat of humans or other animals. The ubiquitous nature of the OP pesticides results in routine exposure for humans through the consumption of fresh and processed vegetables, for example, or contact with pesticide contaminated surfaces. OP pesticides interfere with the nervous system of both insects and humans. In humans, these compounds block the production of cholinesterase. The main target organs in humans are the nervous system, respiratory tract, and cardiovascular system. This application note explains the extraction of OP pesticides using solid phase extraction (SPE) based on the procedure outlined in Method 3535A for OP pesticides by Method 8141. The analysis was performed with capillary GC using a FPD (flame photometric detector).