A solvent-saving extraction-evaporation apparatus developed for residue analysis of pesticides

Abstract

An apparatus that simultaneously allows Soxhlet extraction of pesticides and concentration of the resulting extract has been designed. The evaporated solvent is refluxed into the Soxhlet flask where it is utilised again for the extraction. The major advantages of this cyclic extraction-evaporation system are that redistillation of solvents prior to extraction can be omitted, that manual work is reduced, as the solvent evaporation process occurs simultaneously with the extraction of the sample, and that excess of solvent is not wasted but re-utilised for extraction, which is of interest from the economic and environmental contamination points of view.