Review of the determination of pesticide residues in ambient air

The article reviews the most important methodologies for determining pesticide residues in ambient air. The atmospheric input of pesticides may result from spray drift during application and volatilization after application. Samples are commonly collected from the atmosphere by filters or solid sorbents, keeping in mind that the concentration level of pesticides in the atmosphere can be considerably lower than those in water or soil. Soxhlet extraction and accelerated solvent extraction are the usual means of extracting analytes. The article also covers final determination techniques, the standard ones at present being gas or liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.