Determination of Pyrethroid Residues in Meat by Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection

The method for simultaneous determination of residues of seven pyrethroids (bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and permethrin) in animal meat samples has been developed and validated. The method is based on the extraction of pyrethroid residues with mixture of acetone-petroleum ether, freezing step, clean-up on a Florisil column, and finally determination by capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). The analytical process was validated by the analysis of blank meat samples spiked at levels of 10, 20, and 50 μg/kg. Performance characteristics, such as linearity, detection limit (LOD), quantification limit (LOQ), precision, and recovery were determined. The method was efficient with recoveries for all pyrethroids (except deltamethrin) > 80%, repeatability CV < 6%, reproducibility CV < 16%, LOQ 10 μg/kg, and uncertainty < 21%. In 2006 – 2009, the proposed method was applied to the analysis of the pyrethroid residues in 687 meat samples, mainly from poultry, pigs, and ruminants. No residues of pyrethroids were detected in any of these samples.