Design of a cost-effective fiberglass-coated thin-film microextraction device for the detection of bendiocarb, carbofuran and atrazine agrochemicals from water

Agrochemicals are widely used during the farming process to protect crops from pests and improve agricultural productivity. These pesticides accumulate in regular water sources, posing potential hazards to the environment and human health. To simplify the detection of three common agrochemicals (bendiocarb, carbofuran insecticides, and atrazine herbicide), fiberglass-based thin-film solid-phase microextraction (TF-SPME) devices were developed. To optimize the sample preparation technique, various parameters, including extraction time, temperature, desorption time, solvent profile, ionic strength, and stirring rate, were investigated with the 2000ng/mL standard mixture of three agrochemicals. The results showed that TF-SPME patches were able to extract pesticides with a LOD of 0.1 ng/mL. To further simply the technique, a concentration dependent calibration curve (100-900 ng/mL) was constructed for individual pesticides and the fitting equations were derived, facilitating the fast quantification of these agrochemicals. The developed technique aligned with the green analytical principles due to low solvent use, minimal waste generation, and energy efficiency. The AGREE score emphasized its strong connection with green chemistry, while complex GAPI and BAGI validated its environmental compatibility and user safety. This microextraction TF-SPME device may be applicable for the rapid quantification of agrochemicals from water resources to safeguard human lives.