Development, validation, and application of a method for selected avermectin determination in rural waters using high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection

• Validation of a HPLC-Fluorescence method to evaluate AVMs in rural waters.
• Water samples were collected in a microbasin used for agriculture and livestock.
• Solid phase extraction was efficient to eliminate water interferences.
• Very good figure of merit were obtained with very low limits of quantification.
• First results for AVM in waters of a tropical area.

Avermectins (AVM) are macrocyclic lactones used in livestock and agriculture. A quantitative method of high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for the determination of eprinomectin, abamectin, doramectin and ivermectin in rural water samples was developed and validated. The method was employed to study samples collected in the Pito Aceso River microbasin, located in the Bom Jardim municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Samples were extracted by solid phase extraction using a polymeric stationary phase, the eluted fraction was re-concentrated under a gentle N2 flow and derivatized to allow AVM determination using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The excitation and emission wavelengths of the derivatives were 365 and 470 nm, respectively, and a total chromatographic run of 12 min was achieved. Very low limits of quantification (22–58 ng L−1) were found after re-concentration using N2. Recovery values varied from 85.7% to 119.2% with standard deviations between 1.2% and 10.2%. The validated method was applied in the determination of AVM in 15 water samples collected in the Pito Aceso River microbasin, but most of them were free of AVM or showed only trace levels of these compounds, except for a sample that contained doramectin (9.11 µg L−1). The method is suitable for routine analysis with satisfactory recovery, sensitivity, and selectivity.

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