Pesticides are compounds designed to destroy, prevent and control pests. They are sorted according to the target group to herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaracides, nematicides, algicides, rodenticides, slimicides, related compounds (growth regulator) and their metabolites, degradation and reaction products.






Approximately 800 active substances are registered worldwide, while each of them has different chemical, physical and toxic properties. The most often applied pesticides are organochlorine, organophosphorous pesticides, triazines, phenoxyalkane pesticides, ureas, carbamates, amide pesticides, aromatic acid pesticides and glyphosate.

Every year, tens to hundreds of thousand kilograms of active substances are used in agriculture, urban areas, and also in households and health service. Thus pesticides are potential contaminants of water resources, representing risk for human and animal health as well as for the environment.

In member countries of EU is by legislative allowed the maximal concentration of each single pesticide in drinking water 0.1µg/L, and for sum of pesticides 0.5µg/L. In case of aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide is the maximal concentration 0.030 µg/L (Council directive of EU 98/83/EC).

For detection and quantification of pesticides are nowadays the most used methods based on extraction liquid-liquid or solid phase extraction (SPE) with following analysis by chromatographic methods (gas or liquid chromatography) using different types of detectors (MS, PDA, FLD, FID, ECD, NPD).


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