title: Voltammetric analysis of the acaricide amitraz and its degradant, 2,4-dimethylaniline.
abstract: Amitraz is a formamide acaracide used in the control of ticks and mites in livestock. An electrochemical method for the determination of total amitraz residues and its final breakdown product, 2,4-dimethylaniline, is presented. Cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode showed the irreversible oxidation of amitraz and of 2,4-dimethylaniline. A linear current response was obtained with an extrapolated limit of detection of 2x10(-8)M for amitraz and 1x10(-8)M for 2,4-dimethylaniline. The biological degradation of amitraz and subsequent formation of 2,4-dimethylaniline was readily monitored in spent cattle dip. Amitraz and 2,4-dimethylaniline was also monitored in milk and honey samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brimecombe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Limson