Multiresidue determination of sulfonylurea herbicides by capillary electrophoresis for hydrolysis studies in water and sediments

Twelve sulfonylurea herbicides (bensulfuron-methyl, sulfometuron-methyl, ethametsulfuron-methyl, triasulfuron, tribenuron-methyl, nicosulfuron, chlorimuron-ethyl, thifensulfuron-methyl, primisulfuron-methyl, metsulfuron-methyl, chlorsulfuron, and amidosulfuron) were separated by free zone capillary electrophoresis with migration times less than 20 min. The additional simultaneous determination of the 2,3-dihydro-3-oxobenzisosulfonazole (saccharin) degradation product was possible after application of a temperature and voltage gradient. Detector responses (absorbances) at 239 and 220 nm were linear between 0.1 and 10.0 microg/ml. After extraction with acetonitrile, recoveries for the same concentration range from two different sediments were higher than 90% with variation coefficients lower than 16%. Dissociation constants of the sulfonylurea herbicides were determined.