A new method combining QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) and DLLME (dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring (SIM) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 19 pesticides from nine chemical groups exhibiting or suspected to exhibit endocrine-disrupting properties in orange samples. Acetonitrile extract obtained from QuEChERS extraction was used for DLLME as dispersive solvent and carbon tetrachloride as extractive solvent to increase the enrichment factor of the extraction procedure. The effect of several extraction parameters, such as volume extract achieved by the QuEChERS method and subsequently used for DLLME, selection of extractive solvent and its volume, was tested. Under optimum conditions, good linearity, satisfactory recoveries and repeatability were obtained. Limits of quantification (LOQs) achieved (ranging from 0.02 to 47 ng/g) were below the maximum residue limits established by the European Union. The proposed method was applied to the monitoring of pesticide residue levels in oranges commercialised in Portugal.

High amounts of industrial wastewater are generated by the ever-growing demand and production of paint and coating materials. These effluents have negative effects on human health and the environment. The source of industrial effluents highly influences the properties, composition, and content of pollutants. The manufacturing of paint and coatings uses huge volumes of water and chemical reagents, consequently producing huge volumes of heavily polluted wastewater. This review is focused on summarizing various methods of industrial wastewater treatment from the paint manufacturing industry. Current trends in paint industry wastewater treatment processes have resulted in high efficiency of the reduction of chemical oxygen demand. Factors affecting the treatment processes are discussed and future trends are outlined. The effectiveness of the recently used methods is compared and the limitations of advanced treatment systems are highlighted. The review of recent developments in paint industry wastewater treatments points to the need for paying great attention to advanced analytical methods allowing the identification of individual contaminants to guarantee safe disposal limits.