Residue Analysis of Albendazole in Watermelon and Soil by Solid Phase Extraction and HPLC

Abstract

A reliable method was developed for the determination of albendazole residues in watermelon and soil by solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector. The pesticide in the sample was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The average recoveries ranged from 82.3 to 93.6% with relative standard deviations of 0.27 to 3.51%, at fortification levels of 0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg kg⁻¹ in soil, whole watermelon, and watermelon flesh. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the dissipation and residue of albendazole in a watermelon field in Shandong and Anhui Province, China. The half-lives of albendazole in soil were 6.30 and 4.95 days in Shandong and Anhui, respectively. The terminal residues of albendazole in whole watermelon and watermelon flesh were all below the limit of quantification value (0.01 mg kg⁻¹). Since there is no existing maximum residue limit of albendazole in watermelon in China, these analyses provide a reference limit for albendazole in watermelon.

Keywords:

• Albendazole
• HPLC
• Residue analysis
• Soil
• Solid phase extraction
• Watermelon