Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method was assessed for the determination of several pesticides (organochlorine, organophosphorus, pyrethroids, triazole, amidine) using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The extraction of pesticides was carried out by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) using two types of columns (CN and C18). The extracts were cleaned by the addition of florisil, the pesticides were separated by capillary column gas chromatography and detected by mass spectrometry in the electron impact mode. The extraction using C18 column provided the best results for most of the analyzed pesticides. The majority of pesticides recoveries from the four fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, tomatoes and pepper) were greater than 60%. Linearity and precision were satisfactory. The estimated limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 mg/kg and from 0.02 to 0.3 mg/kg, respectively. The proposed procedure was found to be useful for the multiresidue analyses of pesticides in agricultural products for routine monitoring programs.     

PVC and PET microplastics in caddisfly (Lepidostoma basale) cases reduce case stability

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Caddisfly larvae occur in streams and rivers, and many caddisfly species build protective cases using material from their habitat such as sand grains....     

Simple analytical method for determination of pesticide residues in human serum by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method for the determination of residues of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides which are widely used in Tunisia. This method involves a liquid-liquid extraction procedure followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the identification and quantification of compounds. Ionization of molecules was performed by the electrospray mode. Multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) was the acquisition mode used for the monitoring of two MS/MS transitions for each compound. The average recoveries obtained, at three different fortification levels, ranged between 65% and 106% for most of the pesticides studied, except for methamidophos (lower than 25%).The linearity of the method was in the range of 5 to 50 μ g/L with a correlation coefficient from 0.995 to 0.999, depending on the analyte. The estimated limit of detection and limit of quantification were 2 μ g/L and 5 μ g/L, respectively. The precision of the analytical procedure was satisfactory and the coefficients of variation, evaluated at three concentration levels were lower than 15% for most pesticides studied. The application of the method was investigated in a population of agricultural workers chronically exposed to various pesticides some of which, such as carbofuran, carbendazim, methomyl and pirimicarb, were detected in some serum samples.     

Photodegradation of an azo dye by silver-doped nano-particulate titanium dioxide

The synthesis of silver doped nano-particulate titanium dioxide (Ag/TiO₂) using a microemulsion method and an investigation of its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Acid Red 27 in distilled water under UV-irradiation is reported. The prepared Ag/TiO₂ is characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The size of the Ag nanoparticles is around 5–15?nm, with almost uniform distribution on the TiO₂ particles. The efficiency of the photocatalytic process is evaluated to establish the optimum conditions, found to be at 2?wt% of Ag loading on TiO₂, catalyst dosage of 400?mg?L^?1, and calcination temperature of 300°C. Complete decolorization of the dye solution on Ag/TiO₂ was observed in 20?min of UV irradiation in the optimum conditions.     

Energy conservation and waste utilization in the cement industry serve the green technology and environment

The cement industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries consuming 4 GJ/ton of cement, i.e. 12–15% of the energy use in total industry. Energy cost accounts for 30% of the total cost of cement production. Seventy-five per cent of this energy is due to the thermal energy for clinker production. It is also found that 35% of this supplied thermal energy is lost in flue gas streams. Most modern kilns use pet coke or coal as their primary fuel. Instead, the municipal waste in landfills offer a cheap source of energy and reduce the environmental effects of dumping solid waste. The calcination and drying processes and the kiln need large quantities of thermal energy. About 40% of the total energy input is lost in the hot flue gases and cooling the stack plus the kiln shell. Hence, it is suitable to use an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to recover the exhaust energy from the kiln. Alternatively, a 15 MW gas turbine engine combined with a steam turbine could be utilized. It was found that ORC produces 5 MW with a capital cost recovery period of 1.26 years. However, the gas turbine combined system produces 21.45 MW with a maximum recovery period of 2.66 years.     

Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method was assessed for the determination of several pesticides (organochlorine, organophosphorus, pyrethroids, triazole, amidine) using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The extraction of pesticides was carried out by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) using two types of columns (CN and C18). The extracts were cleaned by the addition of florisil, the pesticides were separated by capillary column gas chromatography and detected by mass spectrometry in the electron impact mode. The extraction using C18 column provided the best results for most of the analyzed pesticides. The majority of pesticides recoveries from the four fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, tomatoes and pepper) were greater than 60%. Linearity and precision were satisfactory. The estimated limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 mg/kg and from 0.02 to 0.3 mg/kg, respectively. The proposed procedure was found to be useful for the multiresidue analyses of pesticides in agricultural products for routine monitoring programs.     

Experimental degradation of oil in permeable sand from the Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Degradation rates of light and heavy oil in permeable carbonate sands from the Gulf of Aqaba were investigated to evaluate the ability of sediments to degrade oil compounds. Silicate sands that are less permeable and different properties from carbonate sands were used for comparison. Estimates of oil degradation rates were based on oxygen consumption rates, calculated by incubating natural carbonate sands with oil. The degradation rates of light oil were twofold higher than those of heavy oil, which may be attributed to the presence of a higher carbon number in heavy oil compared with light oil. Degradation rates of light oil in carbonate sands were twofold higher than in silicate sands. Oil degradation rates calculated using the bottle incubation technique were three- to fourfold higher than rates from chamber incubations, indicating the importance of adequate mixing between oil particles and sediments during degradation processes. This study suggests that permeable sands, through their chemical and physical properties, increase oil biodegradation rates by enhancing flow through sediment particles and positively impacting bioturbation processes.