Improved Gas Chromatographic method for analysis of trichlorfon insecticide in soil and turfgrass thatch

Abstract

An improved Gas Chromatographic method utilizing simple extraction and one‐step purification on solid phase extraction tubes was developed for analysis of trichlorfon as an intact insecticide compound in turfgrass thatch and soil. A Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrum (GC/MS) was used for confirmation of trichlorfon structure. The method readily determines trichlorfon in the presence of dichlorvos. Using an electron capture (EC) detector, the detection limits were 0.02 ppm in soil, 0.04 ppm in turfgrass thatch, and 0.09 ppm in soil, and 0.2 ppm in turfgrass thatch using an nitrogen phosphorus (NP) detector.