MnO2-Modified Carboxylated Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for the Effective Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Environmental Water Samples

Abstract

A manganese dioxide-modified carboxylated graphene oxide (MnO₂@CGO) nanocomposite was fabricated and utilized as a solid nanosorbent for extracting six organochlorine pesticides from environmental water samples. The target compounds, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), Heptachlor, Aldrin, Dieldrin, and o,p-Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p-DDT), were determined by micro-solid phase extraction (µ-SPE) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selective ion monitoring mode. Key experimental factors influencing the extraction performance, such as sample pH, sorbent dosage, type and volume of eluting solvent, and time for desorption, were systematically optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the method showed good linearity (<i>R</i>² = 0.998-1.000) within the concentration range of 0.1-5 ng L^-1. The developed procedure was successfully applied to Nile River, agricultural wastewater, and groundwater samples, achieving recoveries between 87.1% and 101.2% with RSDs below 4.0%. The detection limits were 0.005-0.010 mg L^-1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.0. Overall, the MnO₂@CGO-based µ-SPE method offers a sensitive, reliable, and straightforward approach for monitoring trace levels of organochlorine pesticides in environmental waters.