A short review of sample preparation methods for the pesticide residue analysis in fatty samples

The Arctic region is one of the most vulnerable regions in terms of ecology. Transboundary transfers of toxic substances such as pesticides and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) can adversely affect its ecosystem. These substances can be preserved in environmental objects for decades. The danger of pesticides is associated with their high resistance to biodegradation and high migration ability [Waid, 1987, Moiseenko, 2009, AMAP 2015]. Low average annual temperatures in the Arctic region also contribute to their long decomposition. Pesticides and PCBs through food chains can get into the human body. In addition, many organochlorine pesticides and PCBs are highly toxic and have a pronounced effect on public health (Borlakoglu, Haegele, 1991, AMAP, 2015).The main problem in pesticides analysis is the large amounts of interfering substances which can be co-extracted with them, such as lipids. They can lead to experimental errors and analytical instruments damage. Thus, extensive sample preparation is often required for the pesticide residue analysis for the effective extraction of the analytes and removal of the interferences. Typical sample preparation steps include the sampling/homogenization, extraction, and clean-up procedure. The methods include: liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), supercritical-fluid extraction (SFE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), solid-phase extraction (SPE), QuEChERS.