SPME Fibers for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables: A Review

Food samples are usually analyzed with a preliminary step of sample preparation, because pesticide residues are present in low concentrations and embedded in complex matrixes. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is a solvent-free extraction technique that is fast, relatively inexpensive, easily automated, and versatile with high sample throughput. Analyte extraction, pre-concentration, and introduction into the analytical instrument are achieved in a single uninterrupted process. SPME uses fibers coated with a polymeric stationary phase that can be either a solid, liquid, or a combination of both. The fiber coating extracts the target analytes from a complex food matrix by absorption in the case of liquid coatings or adsorption in the case of solid coatings. The SPME fiber is then transferred into the analytical instrument for desorption and analysis of the target analytes. The use of sol-gel technology in the production SPME coated fiber has helped to increase the range of pesticide residues that can be extracted with the SPME technique. Keywords: SPMEcoated fibersol-gelpesticide residues ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors are grateful to the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, for supporting this research work with grant PV009/2011A. We are also thankful to Prof. Janusz Pawliszyn, Kataoka Hiroyuki, and Supelco Inc. for the use of the figures in this review.