Enhancement of anti-cholinesterase activity of aqueous samples by hypochlorite oxidation for monitoring traces of organophosphorus pesticides in water.

A reproducible method for monitoring traces of cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors in aqueous samples is described: the method is based on chemical oxidation and a ChE inhibition assay. Chlorine was tested as an oxidizing reagent for conversion of various thiophosphorus pesticides (P=S compounds) into their P=O analogs, which have higher ChE-inhibiting activity. After treating buffered pesticide solutions (pH 6.0) with chlorine (final concentration less than 10 mg/l) of at 25°C for 15 min, the ChE-inhibiting activities and detection limits for each pesticide were determined. Greater ChE-inhibiting activities, leading to lower detection limits (ppb levels), were observed for the chlorine-treated solutions fortified azinphos methyl, diazinon, isoxathion and ronnel etc. No changes in the ChE-inhibiting activities were observed for carbamate pesticide solutions tested before and after chlorination, but an additive effect showed against ChE when these compounds were mixed with paraoxon in water. This combination of oxidative derivatization and ChE inhibition assay was applied successfully to the detection and determination of ChE inhibitors in natural and drinking water samples.