Historical evolution of chromatographic methods for the determination of endosulfan and its metabolites in water samples

Abstract

Endosulfan is a highly toxic, broad-spectrum insecticide. Alpha-endosulfan, Betha-endosulfan, and their metabolites are on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants list. Endosulfan metabolites exhibit a wide range of chemical characteristics resulting in hard work for chemical analysts to specify all known degradation products of this insecticide in environmental matrices. This manuscript reviews the evolution of analytical methods related to the determination of endosulfan and its metabolites in environmental matrices. Specific metabolites, such as endosulfan alcohol, have very different physicochemical properties from the parent compound, so the use of a single satisfactory extraction method for endosulfan and its metabolites has not yet been achieved. Also, new endosulfan metabolites have recently been added to the list of their degradation products. The determination of these compounds in multi-pesticide analytical methods over the years was also discussed.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.018-049