Simultaneous determination of terbuthylazine and its major hydroxy and dealkylated metabolites in wetland water samples using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection

A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection was developed and validated aiming at the simultaneous determination of terbuthylazine (TER) and its five major metabolites, desisopropyl-hydroxy-atrazine, desethyl-hydroxy-terbuthylazine, desisopropyl-atrazine, hydroxy-terbuthylazine, and desethyl-terbuthylazine.

Although s-triazines are used worldwide as herbicides for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes, there is limited information on the environmental impact of TER degradation products. The proposed method includes a solid-phase extraction procedure (using MCX cartridges) with adequate recovery efficiency (70-80%).

The statistical evaluation of the method reveals good linearity, accuracy, and precision for the compounds determined, with RSD values less than 14.6%, while the detection limit was found to be 0.05 microg L(-1) for DIHA and 0.01 microg L(-1) for the other substances. This method can be employed in biodegradation studies of TER and its metabolites in water samples from constructed wetlands, thus assisting the evaluation of their environmental impact.