Determination of 24 Pesticides Residues in Leather Products by Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Considering the high content of oil and complex residual additives in leather samples, a new analytical method based on the solid-phase extraction technique and gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring mass spectrometry (GC-SIM-MS) was developed to determine 24 organic compounds involving the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs) and pyrethroids pesticides residues in leather. The extraction conditions (such as the extraction solution, purification procedure and solid-phase extraction column) were optimized using the positive leather samples based on the recovery rates of the pesticides. The best extraction solution, solid-phase extraction column and chromatography column were n-hexane and ethyl acetate (1+1, volume) mixed solution, Carb-PSA (1.0 g, 6mL) and DB-1701 (length: 30 m, inside diameter: 0.25 mm, film thickness: 0.25 μm). The optimized extraction time and temperature were 20 min and 25°C, respectively. The detection limits of 24 pesticide residues range from 0.05 to 0.10 mg/kg, and the recoveries range from 74% to 116%. The relative standard deviations (RSD, n=6) range from 5.42% to 12.00%. The developed method presented a simple, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive method to detect 24 pesticides in skin and leather and was successfully applied to the detect them in leather products (cowhide, sheep leather and pig leather).