Analysis of Biocides in Molluscs Using Different Extraction Methods and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Background: Antifouling paints are widely used for the prevention of growth and development of fouling organisms (biofouling). Consequently, nowadays they are one of the main sources of marine pollution. Objective: The present study examines and compares two different extraction techniques, for the determination of diuron and irgarol 1051 in shellfish tissues. Method: Microwave assisted extraction and ultrasound extraction, followed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry were tested and different parameters for both extraction methods were optimized. Results: The results showed that microwave assisted extraction was the most effective method, presenting recoveries in the range of 51.2 to 69.4% and 76.0 to 92.8% for diuron and irgarol 1051, respectively. The precision was evaluated in terms of repeatability for different concentration levels (50, and 500 ng·g-1 of both analytes), which was lower than 19.1% (n = 6) in all cases. The applicability of the proposed method was evaluated by the extraction and determination of the target analytes in different mollusc species collected from Spain and Brazil beaches. Conclusion: The proposed method provides good results in terms of sensitivity, extraction efficiencies and precision and it could be employed for future monitoring studies in ecosystems influenced by the port traffic.