APPLICATION OF ION-EXCHANGE CARTRIDGE CLEANUP IN FOOD ANALYSIS I - SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF THIABENDAZOLE AND IMAZALIL IN CITRUS-FRUITAND BANANA USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION

A simple, rapid and reproducible analytical method for thiabendazole ( TBZ) and imazalil (IMA) in citrus fruit and banana has been developed. The method involves the use of an ion-exchange cartridge for sample c lean-up followed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography wi th ultraviolet detection. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from citrus fr uits spiked at levels of 10 mu g/g and 5 mu g/g were in the range of 9 4-98% and 93-98% with coefficients of variation of 0.5-2.2% and 1.6-2. 7%, respectively. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from banana spiked at levels of 3 mu g/g and 2 mu g/g were 94% and 94% with coefficients of variation 1.1% and 4.9%, respectively. The detection limits for TBZ an d IMA were 0.1 mu g/g in citrus fruit and 0.05 mu g/g in banana. (C) 1 998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.