Extraction of chlorpyriphos froma commercial formulation and biological sample

Modern analytical methods for extracting pesticide are found in the literature, but the required equipment not always available. Given the large human, animal and environmental exposure to pesticides, and the inaccessibility to analytical methods, it is important to rescue simple methods for identifying pesticides. This research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of extracting an agrochemical active from a commercial formulation, directing its application in emergencies by cost, quality, and speed. Rapid extraction using three steps comprises: sample purification, extraction using only one solvent and identification by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The determination of enzymatic cholinesterase was carried out, in triplicate, to control the action of the pesticide. The entire study was compared to a chlorpyrifos purchased from Sigma. The same procedure was performed with serum from rats contaminated with chlorpyrifos collected 3 h after administration. TLC provides characteristics of the active extracted as chlorpyrifos from Sigma, even using biological sample as serum (traces), while the inhibition of cholinesterase for the concentrations tested in comparison with the control, were statistically significant, respectively to that extracted and Sigma. The procedures applied were adequate to isolate the active, confirmed by TLC and by the cholinesterase inhibitory capacity.