Effervescence-assisted β-cyclodextrin/attapulgite composite for the in-syringe dispersive solid-phase extraction of pyrethroids in environmental water samples

•The β-cyclodextrin/attapulgite composite effervescent tablets were proposed for the first time.•The sorbent was dispersed into the solution with the release of carbon dioxide.•A filter membrane was used to recover the sorbent after the extraction.•The prepared sorbent exhibited highter extraction efficiency for analysis of pyrethroids than C18 and HLB.•No auxiliary apparatus was used throughout the extraction process.

In this research, an effervescence-assisted β-cyclodextrin/attapulgite composite (β-CD/ATP) for the in-syringe dispersive solid-phase extraction (EAIS-DSPE) of pyrethroids in environmental samples was developed for the first time. A syringe was used to conduct the extraction procedure and a small amount of β-CD/ATP was dispersed into the solution with the release of carbon dioxide when the effervescent tablet components dissolved in water. Then, the sorbent was recovered using a filter membrane, and the analytes were directly eluted using acetonitrile. In the process, the β-CD/ATP sorbent resulted in an excellent extraction efficiency compared to commercially available sorbents such as C18 and HLB. Moreover, in the extraction procedure, both the β-cyclodextrin inclusion interactions (especially the hydrophobic effects) and the special structure of the ATP contributed to the efficient enrichment of pyrethroids in aqueous media. The amount of β-CD/ATP sorbent, the volume of desorption, the ratio of NaH2PO4/Na2CO3, the volume of the sample, and the pH were screened using a Plackett–Burman design. All factors affecting the procedure were optimized by applying a central composite design. Under the optimized conditions, a good repeatability (RSDs) ranging from 1.7 to 2.3, linearity (2.5–500 μg L−1), limits of detection (LODs) (0.15–1.03 μg L−1), and an acceptable recoveries (76.8–86.5%) were achieved. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of pyrethroids in environmental samples including river water, reservoir water and lake water.

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