Determination of aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide, aldicarb sulfone and carbofuran residues in water using high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A method was developed for the residue analysis of aldicarb, its toxic metabolites (aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone), carbofuran and its metabolites (3-hydroxy- and 3-ketocarbofuran) in water. The procedure involved extracting with methylene chloride, initial separation and clean-up with a Sep-Pak TM silica cartridge, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography employing a variable-wave-length ultraviolet detector set a 220, 247 or 280 nm. The medthod was applied to the ananlysis of 1-1 well water samples with a sensitivity of 1 ppb and recoveries greater than 83%.