An Infrared Method, with Reduced Solvent Consumption, for the Determination of Chlorsulfuron in Pesticide Formulations

Abstract

A simple method has been developed for the determination of Chlorsulfuron in pesticide formulations by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Samples were diluted with CHCl_3⁻ , and the FTIR spectra of the samples and standards were obtained at a nominal resolution of 4 cm^− 1 from 4000 to 900 cm^− 1 with the accumulation of 25 scans. Chlorsulfuron determination was based on the measurement of peak area values from 1373 to 1363 cm^− 1 which were corrected by use of a two points baseline defined from 1401 to 1302 cm^− 1. The limit of detection achieved, which was of the order of 6 µg g^− 1, was appropriate for the determination of Chlorsulfuron in commercially available formulations. FTIR results were statistically comparable with those found by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The procedure reduces organic solvent consumption per sample to less than 3 ml CHCl₃, reduces waste generation and increases the sample measurement frequency up to 60 h^− 1.

Keywords:

• Chlorsulfuron
• Pesticide formulations
• FTIR
• HPLC‐UV

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Generalitat Valenciana Project GV01‐249 and the grant provided by the Laboratorio de Higiene Laboral y Ambiental of the Universitat de Valencia and Laboratorios Ibañez to carry out this study. S. Armenta acknowledges the FPU Grant of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España (Ref. AP2002‐1874).