Determination and Extraction of Carbofuran Pesticide in Different Matrices using Cloud Point Extraction Method

Background: Pesticides are increasingly used in agriculture and households, but they are also considered a major pollutant to the environment. Carbofuran (CAR; 2,3-dihydro-2,2- dimethylbenzofuran-7-yl methylcarbamate) is a widely used pesticide due to its effectiveness on soybean aphids. Objectives: A simple and green method was suggested for the extraction and determination of CAR in different matrices. Methods: A diazotization reaction involving the use of the drug compound metoclopramide was utilized in this study. A red dye product, which was formed from the diazotization coupling between CAR and diazotized metoclopramide (DMCP), was extracted using cloud point extraction with the nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 and measured at a wavelength of 515 nm. Results: The linearity of the extracted method was over a concentration range of 0.1-0.5 μg/mL (r2 = 0.996) for CAR with a detection limit of 0.064 μg/mL and enrichment factors of about 148 folds for CAR. The mean recovery percentage was in the range of 99-102% for water and soil samples with precision (RSD%) of less than 0.4%. Conclusion: The described method was effectively utilized in the simultaneous extraction of CAR from water and soil samples.