Analysis of seven pesticides in sediments was successfully achieved using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with micro-electron capture detection, as it provided higher sensitivity and less matrix interference. Repeatability and intermediate precision of peak areas and heights were less than 4% and the recovery percentage for the analytes ranged from 52 to 115%. Instrumental LOD and LOQ were in the range of 0.60 to 2.31 μg L-1 and 1.83 to 5.62 μg L-1, respectively. Concentrations of 3.34 μg kg-1 (dry basis) for trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin (below the LOQ) were found in a sediment sample.

The development of analytical methods for determination of eight pesticides of different chemical classes (trichlorfon, propanil, fipronil, propiconazole, trifloxystrobin, permethrin, difenoconazole and azoxystrobin) in sediments with gas chromatography-micro-electron capture detector (GC/µECD) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with micro-electron capture detector (GCxGC/µECD) is described. These methods were applied to real sediment samples, and the best results were obtained using a 5% diphenyl-methylpolysiloxane column for 1D-GC. For GCxGC the same column was employed in the first dimension and a 50%-phenyl-methylpolysiloxane stationary phase was placed in the second dimension. Due to the superior peak capacity and selectivity of GCxGC, interfering matrix peaks were separated from analytes, showing a better performance of GCxGC.