Simultaneous microextraction of pesticides from wastewater using optimized SPEed and QuEChERS techniques for food contamination analysis

Food contamination with pesticides poses significant risks to consumer safety and undermines confidence in food supply chains. Detecting pesticides in food samples is a challenging task that requires efficient extraction techniques. This study aims to compare and validate two microextraction techniques, mu SPEed and mu QuEChERS-dSPE, for the simultaneous extraction of eight pesticides (paraquat, thiabendazole, asulam, picloram, ametryn, atrazine, linuron, and cymoxanil) from wastewater samples. A good analytical performance was obtained for both methodologies, with selectivity, linearity in the range 0.5-150 mg L-1 with coefficients of determination up to 0.9979, limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 mg L-1 and from 0.06 to 0.17 mg L-1, respectively, precision below 14.7 mg L-1, and recoveries from wastewater samples in the range of 66.1-99.9%. The developed methodologies are simpler, faster, and require less sample and solvent volumes than conventional methodologies, having a lower impact on the environment. Nevertheless, the mu SPEed approach was found to be more efficient, easier to perform, and with a higher greener profile. This study highlights the potential of microextraction techniques for the analysis of pesticide residues in food and environmental samples. Overall, it presents a fast and efficient method for the analysis of pesticides in wastewater samples, which can be useful for monitoring and controlling pesticide contamination in the environment.