Headspace solid-phase microextraction using a Citrus reticulata peel carbon aerogel for gas chromatography quantification of organochlorine pesticides in fruit and vegetable samples

Abstract

A headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method using Citrus reticulata peel carbon aerogel (CRPCA) combined with gas chromatography (GC) was developed for the detection of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in fruit and vegetable samples. CRPCA was synthesized by hydrothermal reaction and carbonization of Citrus reticulata peel. Characterization of CRPCA revealed that it possesses an open porous structure, high thermal stability, and abundant functional groups. Experimental parameters for the adsorption and desorption of OCPs using CRPCA-coated fiber were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the developed method showed good linearity in the range of 0.1 to 10ng/g (r² ≥ 0.991), low detection limits (0.002–0.052ng/g), and high reusability (100 cycles). The HS-SPME-GC method using CRPCA-coated fiber was applied to real samples (Chinese cabbage, white radish, apple, peach, and pear). The established method enables the simple, environmentally friendly, and sensitive detection of trace OCPs in complex matrices.