Radio frequency (RF) plasma in water was used for the degradation of methylene blue. The fraction of decomposition of methylene blue and the intensity of the spectral line from OH radical increased with RF power. RF plasma in water also produced hydrogen peroxide. The density of hydrogen peroxide increased with RF power and exposure time. When pure water (300 mL) is exposed to plasma at 310 W for 15 min, density of hydrogen peroxide reaches to 120 mg/L. Methylene blue after exposed to plasma degraded gradually for three weeks. This degradation may be due to chemical processes via hydrogen peroxide and tungsten. The comparison between the experimental and calculated spectral lines of OH radical (A-X) shows that the temperature of the radical is around 3,500 K. Electron density is evaluated to be^3.5 9 10 20 m -3 from the stark broadening of the H b line.

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We carried out a collaborative study in six laboratories to confirm the universality of the enhancing effect of co-existing reference pesticides on the GC-MS peak response to a target pesticide (malathion, procymidone, or flucythrinate). First, we confirmed the response enhancement of the target pesticides with increasing numbers of co-existing reference pesticides in solution. Then, using diluted green soybean matrix, we analyzed the target pesticides with two types of matrix-matched calibration, containing the target pesticides or 166 other pesticides. In both cases, the response-enhancing effect of co-existing pesticides was confirmed in all laboratories. The enhancement was reduced by addition of green soybean matrix to the sample and calibration solutions. Our results show that it is necessary to estimate the peak response-enhancing effect of co-existing pesticides in the calibration solution to obtain accurate results with GC-MS determination. The enhancing effect could be reduced by addition of food matrix to the sample and calibration solutions.

A validation study was carried out on a rapid method for the simultaneous determination of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits by LC-MS/MS. Preparation of the test solution was performed by a solid-phase extraction technique with QuEChERS STQ method . Pesticide residues were extracted with acetonitrile using a homogenizer, followed by salting-out and dehydration at the same time. The acetonitrile layer was purified with C18 and PSA mini-columns. The method was assessed for 130 pesticide residues in 14 kinds of vegetables and fruits at the concentration level of 0.01 μ g/g according to the method validation guideline of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. As a result 75 to 120 pesticide residues were determined satisfactorily in the tested samples. Thus, this method could be useful for a rapid and simultaneous determination of multiclass pesticide residues in various vegetables and fruits.