Simultaneous determination of 18 pyrethroids in indoor air by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

An analytical method was developed for the simultaneous measurement of 18 pyrethroids (allethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, cyphenothrin, deltamethrin, empenthrin, fenpropathrin, furamethrin, imiprothrin, metofluthrin, permethrin, phenothrin, prallethrin, profluthrin, resmethrin, tetramethrin and transfluthrin) in indoor air. The pyrethroids were collected for 24 h using a combination of adsorbents (quartz fiber filter disk and Empore C18 disk), with protection from light, and then extracted with acetone, concentrated, and analyzed by GC/MS. They could be determined accurately and precisely (detection limits: ca. 1 ng/m3). The collected pyrethroid samples could be stored for up to one month at 4 °C in a refrigerator.