Pyrethroids, pyrethrins, and piperonyl butoxide in sediments by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry

A new method for determination of pyrethroids, pyrethrins, and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) was developed for aquatic sediments. The method detection limits for pyrethroids (15 compounds), pyrethrins, and PBO ranged from 0.16 to 1.50 ng/g sediment, which was suitable for detecting these chemicals at environmentally relevant concentrations (low ng/L range) that are toxicologically significant to benthic organisms. Recovery of the analytes from a low level spiked sediment ranged from 89.7% to 135%. Resmethrin showed the lowest recovery at 23.5% and pyrethrins showed the highest recovery at 154%. To confirm the utility of this new method for environmental applications, sediment samples collected from five tributaries of the San Francisco Bay, California were analyzed. Individual pyrethroids were detected in concentrations of up to 17.6 ng/g, while PBO was detected in all sediment samples in concentrations of 0.010–0.215 ng/g. Pyrethrins were not found in the sediment samples.