Analysis of Nine Pesticides on a Golf Course

Significance of the Topic

Analysis of pesticide residues is critical to ensure environmental safety and regulatory compliance in turf management on golf courses.

Objectives and Study Overview

The goal is to establish a rapid and robust reversed-phase liquid chromatography method for simultaneous determination of nine common pesticides at a concentration level of 10 mg/L each.

Methodology and Instrumentation

A Shimadzu Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column (150 mm × 3.0 mm, 3 μm) was used with a gradient mobile phase of 50 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile. The gradient runs from 60/40 to 40/60 over 4 minutes at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min and column temperature of 40 °C. Detection was performed by UV at 235 nm with a 5 μL injection volume.

Instrumentation

• Shimadzu HPLC system with UV detector at 235 nm
• Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column 150 × 3.0 mm, 3 μm

Main Results and Discussion

The method achieved baseline separation of nine pesticides—including asulam, oxine copper, triclopyr, mecoprop, thiram, flazasulfuron, halosulfuron methyl, siduron and azoxystrobin—within a total run time under 6 minutes. Sharp peak shapes and excellent retention time reproducibility were observed, demonstrating efficient elution across a range of polarities.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High-throughput multi-residue screening compatible with standard HPLC-UV setups
• Minimal sample preparation and straightforward workflow
• Cost-effective monitoring for environmental and quality control labs

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Adoption of UHPLC coupled with mass spectrometry will improve sensitivity and selectivity. Advances in green solvent systems, automated sample handling and portable instrumentation will enable more sustainable and on-site pesticide monitoring.

Conclusion

The developed LC-UV method delivers a fast, reliable and reproducible approach for monitoring nine pesticides on golf courses, supporting environmental protection and regulatory compliance.

Reference

Shimadzu Corporation First Edition Dec 2021 ERAS-1000-0220