Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop coupled with HPLC-UV detection as a fast and inexpensive technique was applied to the simultaneous extraction and determination of traces of two common herbicides, alachlor and atrazine, in aqueous samples. The critical experimental parameters, including type of the extraction and disperser solvents as well as their volumes, sample pH, salt addition, and extraction time were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs found to be linear in the range of 0.1-200 μg/L with LOD in the range of 0.02-0.05 μg/L. The RSDs were in the range of 4.2-5.3% (n = 5). The relative recoveries of well, tap, and river water samples which have been spiked with different levels of herbicides were 94.0-106.0, 99.0-105.0, and 88.5-97.0%, respectively.

No abstract

No abstract

Because of the routine consumption of vegetables and the possibility of heavy metals contamination, it can threaten the health of consumers. In this investigation, the concentration and human health risks of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni) were evaluated in the harvested cucumber samples in nine villages of the Darrehshahr Township, Iran. The average concentrations of elements in all the villages were ranked as follows: Zn < Pb < Cu < Ni < Cd. The concentration of Cd (except village I) and Pb as toxic pollutants in all the samples were higher than maximum levels (ML) of Iran standard. Among all the studied elements, only EDI and EWI values of Pb were found to be higher than recommended value limits of Iran standard. THQ (Target Hazard Quotient) of all the elements except Pb was less than 1and was in the order Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd. So, the health risk of cucumber consumption, because of Pb, was high. Total Target Hazard Quotient (TTHQ) in all the villages was more than 10. It represented that the health risk for non-carcinogenic diseases due to long term cucumber consumption would be high. Based on the results, there is a health risk from consumption of cucumber grown in Darrehshahr Township because of high Pb concentration.