Integrated extraction approach for trace analysis of aflatoxin B1 in domestic water tanks using HPLC

Analytical strategies need to evolve to maintain high level of vigilance for domestic water toxins. A key aspect could be the integrated extraction approaches with the best combination of two extraction techniques which can quantify trace levels of toxins in water samples. Herein, we demonstrate a simple C 18 based integrated solid phase extraction and micro‐extraction by packed sorbent extraction protocol coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for trace level detection and quantification of aflatoxin B 1 in domestic water tanks. Aflatoxin B 1 is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus Fungi and is a potent environmental carcinogen. The integrated extraction strategy succeeded to push the quantification limits up to pg/mL in spiked samples. This is the first demonstration of such type of analytical integration for the trace analysis in water. The optimized analytical protocol with a linear range of 0.05–50 ng/mL shows a detection limit of 0.012 ng/mL and a quantification limit of 0.039 ng/mL, with recovery range of 98.01–98.65%. With real sample applications, aflatoxin B 1 was quantified in the range of 3.993–38.785 ng/mL in domestic water tanks.