Chromatographic determination of pesticides in soil: Current trends in analysis and sample preparation

Soil is a primary sink and reservoir for pesticides pollution and one of the priority objects in terms of pesticides safety guidelines. Pesticides’ analysis in soil is a field of research which is in constant development facing numerous challenges such as increasing amount and variety of analytes and their combinations, as well as increasing demand for faster, simpler, more accurate and multiresidue analysis. This review provides the summary of studies on pesticides analysis in soil based on chromatography-coupled methods published between 2015 and 2022. We discuss the shift toward faster, greener, and simpler alternatives to conventional techniques, application of sample preparation and detection methods to targeted and untargeted pesticide analysis, as well as the developments in stereoselective determination of chiral pesticides. The sample preparation methods such as solid-phase extraction, dispersive solid-phase extraction, and derived methods, as well as the recent trends and developments in chromatographic separation of pesticides are covered in this review. For sample preparation, the QuEChERS method is replacing other techniques and has proved to be efficient in both screening and accurate quantification in multiresidue analysis. Shift towards minimal sample preparation is supported by wider application of highly sensitive and selective separation and detection systems such as LC-MS/MS. The features of different methods of sample preparation and detection are discussed with focus on optimal parameters, advantages, and drawbacks. The optimal parameters of sample preparation methods were summarized based on respective publications, which makes the review a useful tool for method development and further investigations. • This review discusses state-of-the-art methods for pesticides’ analysis in soil • QuEChERS is the most used sample preparation procedure • Tailor-made materials are required to address the limitations of multiresidue methods