Simultaneous determination of maneb and its main metabolites in tomatoes by liquid chromatography using diode array ultraviolet absorbance detection.

Liquid chromatography (LC) with diode array ultraviolet absorbance (DAD UV) detection is used for the simultaneous determination of the fungicide maneb and its main metabolites (ethylenethiourea--ETU, ethylenebis (isothiocyanate) sulfide--EBIS, and ethyleneurea--EU) in tomatoes. The identity of EBIS, one of the main UV degradation products of maneb, was verified by both DAD UV detection and mass spectrometry. The analytes were extracted three times with 3 mL of 1:1:1 acetonitrile-dichloromethane-chloroform by 2 min of mechanical shaking and separated on a C-18 column by gradient elution with an acetonitrile-methanol-aqueous 100mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) mixture. The quantification limits of 0.45, 0.04, and 0.35 mg kg(-1) obtained for maneb, ETU, and EU, respectively, show that the proposed method is suitable for their determination in tomatoes.