Evaluation and confirmation of an alkylation-gas-liquid chromatographic method for the determination of carbamate and urea herbicides in foods.

An alkylation technique using methyl iodide and sodium hydride in dimethyl sulfoxide has been evaluated for 3 carbamate and 7 urea herbicides in 9 foods. Recoveries ranged from 56 to 113%, depending on herbicide, concentration, and food type. Reproducibility was about +/-6% at 0.1 and 1.0 ppm. Identities of the herbicides were confirmed at these and lower levels by cleaving the aniline moiety from the alkylated herbicides with sodium methoxide in methanol, followed by gas-liquid chromatography on the same column as the parent compound. An electrolytic conductivity detector in the nitrogen mode was used for all analyses. Minimum detectable levels were in the range of 0.005-0.01 ppm in the foods studied.