Ultrasonic Piezoelectric Nebulization of Propoxur for the Determination by Corona Discharge Ionization Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Propoxur insecticide as a thermally unstable compound (decomposed at its boiling point) could not be analyzed by traditional sample introduction systems based on the thermal desorption. In this study, an ultrasonic piezoelectric nebulizing injection port was applied for evaporating this compound prior to its determination by corona discharge ionization ion mobility spectrometry (CD-IMS). The target analyte was extracted from different water samples by using the extraction method of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction. Methanol and trichloromethane were utilized as the disperser and extraction solvents, respectively. The effective variables included the volume of the disperser and the extraction solvents, the pH, and the centrifugation time were studied by a Fractional Factorial Design to identify the important parameter(s) and their interaction. To that end, a Central Composite Design was performed to achieve optimum levels of each effective parameter. The results showed that the optimum conditions were 78 μL of the extraction solvent, and 1.2 mL for the disperser solvent; centrifugation time was 1 min at 1010g, and finally pH 7. A detection limit of 2.1 μg L−1, a linear range of 2.5 – 80 μg L−1, and a relative standard deviation of 7% were obtained. Different water samples were analyzed by the proposed technique, and the propoxur amounts were successfully determined. The obtained results revealed satisfactory relative recovery values of between 91 and 105%.