Extraction procedures in gas chromatographic determination of pesticides

Abstract

Pesticides are necessary for increasing agricultural productivity; however, their enormous use contaminates air, water and food. Among various organic pesticides, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are most persistent; and though their use is banned, they are still used illegally. In contrast to OCPs, organophosphorous pesticides are less persistent and used most extensively, while synthetic pyrethroid pesticides are the least toxic and used as insecticides. Extensive use of these pesticides is vulnerable to the ecosystem. Various extraction methods are used worldwide both by the regulatory bodies and private laboratories for the determination of multi-residue pesticides in leafy vegetables. This mini review presents an update on extraction procedure in gas chromatographic methods of pesticides analysis in various samples with special emphasis on leafy vegetables. We have covered six years of work from 2008–2013, discussing various extraction methods and their applications.