Reducing Pesticide Pollution Using Certified for Automation Atlantic SPE Disks

Pesticide pollution is a subject of global concern and although many counties have now banned the use of organochlorine pesticides, they continue to linger in the environment and can contaminate water sources. Organochlorine pesticides can be toxic to animals and humans, so methods which accurately and easily quantify them are essential.

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is an increasingly popular method to analyze trace contaminants in water samples, with SPE disks now a common media used to adsorb and elute these analytes. Benefits of the technique include less solvent usage and exposure, less time, and less effort than liquid-liquid extraction. Used in combination with the Horizon Technology Spe-Dex® Automated Extractor Systems, Atlantic SPE Disks have consistently received excellent reviews from laboratories running EPA Methods 8081B and 8082A.

"Horizon Technology (USA) recently conducted a study of the effectiveness of the Atlantic SPE Disk in extracting organochlorine pesticides from water samples," said Tom Hall, of Horizon Technology. "Our results demonstrate that the Atlantic SPE Disks are able to quantify a wide array of organochlorine compounds in a single extraction, each at a better rate than the standard which has been set by the EPA."