Targeted analysis and determination of β‐agonists,hormones, glucocorticoid and psychiatric drugs in feed by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A comprehensive strategy combining a quantitative method was developed for 30 banned drugs including β‐agonists, hormones, glucocorticoid and psychiatric drugs in swine and chicken feeds. This rapid, simple and effective extraction method was based on matrix solid‐phase dispersion and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The quantitative method was validated after previous statistical optimization of the main parameters of matrix solid‐phase dispersion. The limit of quantification of dopamine hydrochloride, chlormadinone acetate, melengestrol acetate, testosterone propionate, nandrolone and midazolam was 2 μg/kg and that of the other 24 drugs was 1 μg/kg. The recoveries of β‐agonists, hormones, glucocorticoid and psychiatric drugs spiked in swine and chicken feeds at a concentration range of 1–8 μg/kg were above 70.1% with inter‐day relative standard deviations less than 15.8%. The analytical strategy was applied to 100 feed samples collected from a local market in Wuhan (China). Clenbuterol, ractopamine and melengestrol acetate were identified and quantified at the level 0.2～3.5 μg/kg. The rapid and reliable method can be used to efficiently separate, characterize and quantify the residues of 30 banned drugs in swine and chicken feeds with advantages of simple pretreatment and environmental friendly nature.     

Magnetic micro‐solid‐phase extraction based on magnetite‐MCM‐41 with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the determination of antidepressant drugs in biological fluids

A new facile magnetic micro‐solid‐phase extraction coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection was developed for the extraction and determination of selected antidepressant drugs in biological fluids using magnetite‐MCM‐41 as adsorbent. The synthesized sorbent was characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. The maximum extraction efficiency for extraction of 500 μg/L antidepressant drugs from aqueous solution was obtained with 15 mg of magnetite‐MCM‐41 at pH 12. The analyte was desorbed using 100 μL of acetonitrile prior to gas chromatography determination. This method was rapid in which the adsorption procedure was completed in 60 s. Under the optimized conditions using 15 mL of antidepressant drugs sample, the calibration curve showed good linearity in the range of 0.05–500 μg/L (r ² = 0.996–0.999). Good limits of detection (0.008–0.010 μg/L) were obtained for the analytes with good relative standard deviations of <8.0% (n  = 5) for the determination of 0.1, 5.0, and 500.0 μg/L of antidepressant drugs. This method was successfully applied to the determination of amitriptyline and chlorpromazine in plasma and urine samples. The recoveries of spiked plasma and urine samples were in the range of 86.1–115.4%. Results indicate that magnetite micro‐solid‐phase extraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry is a convenient, fast, and economical method for the extraction and determination of amitriptyline and chlorpromazine in biological samples.     

Analysis of pesticide residues in tobacco with online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

An ultrasensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of pesticides residues in tobacco was developed with online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Tobacco samples were extracted with the solvent mixture of cyclohexane and acetone (7:3, v/v) and centrifuged. Then, the supernatant liquors were injected directly into the online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry without any other purification procedures after being filtered with a 0.22 μm organic phase filter. The matrix interferences were effectively removed and recoveries of most pesticides were in the range of 72–121%. Especially, for chlorothalonil, the analysis efficiency of this method was much more favorable than that of the general method, in which dispersive solid‐phase extraction was used as an additional purified procedure. In addition, the limits of quantitation of this method were from 1 to 50 μg/kg. Therefore, a rapid, cost‐effective, labor‐saving method was proposed in the present work, which was suitable for the analysis of 41 pesticide residues in tobacco.     

分散固相萃取净化与液相色谱/串联质谱法测定牛奶中8类禁用药物残留

建立了牛奶中8类禁用药物的液相色谱-串联质谱( LC- MS/MS)检测方法.分析物包括5种硝基咪唑、7种β-受体激动剂、9种雄性激素、7种糖皮质激素、3种雌性激素、2种镇静剂、1种氯霉素以及6种二羟基苯甲酸内酯共40种禁用药物.样品以β葡萄糖苷醛酶/芳基硫酸酯酶在乙酸铵缓冲液中酶解,用氨化和酸化乙腈各提取一次.提取液经改良的分散固相萃取(QuEChERS)净化,浓缩后采用C18色谱柱分离(150 mm×2.1 mm i.d.,3.0 um).以甲醇和水(含0.1％甲酸)、乙腈和水分别作为正、负电喷雾离子化模式的色谱分离流动相进行梯度洗脱,多反应监测模式进行定性和定量分析.7种药物以内标法定量;33种药物以基质标准曲线外标法定量,氯霉素在0.02～0.4μg/kg; 39种药物在0.20～ 10.0 μg/kg范围内相关系数(r)均大于0.99;定量限(S/N=10)在0.07～0.93 μg/kg之间.分别以各个药物0.5,1和2倍MRPL( Minimum required performance limits)浓度水平加标验证实验,回收率范围60.3％～119.3％范围;相对标准偏差小于18.9％.     

Simultaneous determination of ethyl carbamate and 4‐(5‐)methylimidazole in yellow rice wine and soy sauce by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

We developed a new method, based on alkaline diatomite solid‐phase extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, for the simultaneous determination of the toxic contaminants ethyl carbamate (EC) and 4‐(5‐)methylimidazole (4‐MEI) in yellow rice wine and soy sauce. The optimal extraction conditions were defined. With the application of alkaline diatomite solid‐phase extraction, damage to the capillary column by organic acids was greatly reduced. With deuterated EC used as the internal standard, the linearity of the calibration curves for EC and 4‐MEI was good with correlation coefficient above 0.99. In a spiked experiment with EC and 4‐MEI in yellow rice wine and soy sauce, recovery of the added EC was 80.5–102.5% and that of 4‐MEI was 78.3–92.8%. The limit of quantification and limit of detection for EC were 6.0 and 2.0 μg/kg, respectively, and for 4‐MEI were 15.0 and 5.0 μg/kg, respectively. The validation results demonstrate that the method is fast, simple, and selective, and therefore is suitable for simultaneously determining the presence of EC and 4‐MEI in fermented food.     

Comparison of different cleanup procedures for oil crops based on the development of a trace analytical method for the determination of pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole

The effects of different cleanup procedures in removing high‐molecular‐mass lipids and natural colorants from oil‐crop extracts, including dispersive solid‐phase extraction, low‐temperature precipitation and gel permeation chromatography, were studied. The pigment removal, lipid quantity, and matrix effects of the three cleanup methods were evaluated. Results indicated that the gel permeation chromatography method is the most effective way to compare the dispersive solid‐phase extraction and low‐temperature precipitation. Pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole applied extensively in oil‐crop production were selected as typical pesticides to study and a trace analytical method was developed by gel permeation chromatography and ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Average recoveries of the target pesticides at three levels (10, 50, and 100 μg/kg) were in the range of 74.7–96.8% with relative standard deviation values below 9.2%. The limits of detection did not exceed 0.46 μg/kg, whereas the limits of quantification were below 1.54 μg/kg and much lower than maximum residue limit in all matrices. This study may provide the essential data for optimizing the analytical method of pesticides in oil‐crop samples.     

Simultaneous determination of antiviral drugs in chicken tissues by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

An ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the rapid and simultaneous analysis of seven antiviral drugs, amantadine, rimantadine, memantine, moroxydine, imiquimod, oseltamivir, and acyclovir, in chicken liver, muscle, and egg. Homogenized samples were extracted with trichloroacetic acid and acetonitrile solutions and then purified by cation‐exchange solid‐phase extraction. The target drugs were analyzed by liquid chromatography with a UPLC BEH Amide column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer operating in the positive multiple‐reaction mode. A perfectly linear relationship was obtained within the concentration ranges of 0.5–20 μg/L for acyclovir and 0.1–10 μg/L for the other six antiviral drugs. The average recoveries of the seven antiviral drugs using four addition levels in chicken liver, muscle, and eggs were 82.67–90.10, 82.30–92.27, and 81.98–93.77%, respectively, and the acceptable coefficients of variation were 5.18–9.88, 4.84–11.2, and 42.8–9.95%, respectively. The detection limits and detection capabilities of the analysis method for the seven antiviral drugs were in the ranges of 0.04–0.64 and 0.11–0.78 μg/kg, respectively. Additionally, an inter‐laboratory study among five laboratories further validated the method.     

Fast determination of octinoxate and oxybenzone uv filters in swimming pool waters by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid‐phase microextraction

A fast gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the analysis of the potential endocrine disrupters octinoxate and oxybenzone in swimming pool water samples based on the solvent‐free solid‐phase microextraction technique. The low‐pressure gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method used for the fast identification of UV filter substances was compared to a conventional method in terms of sensitivity and speed. The fast method proposed resulted in 2 min runs, leading to an eightfold decrease in the total analysis time and a sevenfold improvement in detection limits. The main parameters affecting the solid‐phase microextraction process were also studied in detail and the optimized conditions were as follows: fiber coating, polyacrylate; extraction mode, direct immersion; extraction temperature, 25°C; sample volume, 5 mL; extraction time 45 min; pH 6.5. Under the optimized conditions, a linear response was obtained in the concentration range of 0.5–25 μg/L with correlation coefficients in the range 0.990–0.999. The limits of detection were 0.17–0.29 μg/L, and the recoveries were 80–83%. Combined method uncertainty was assessed and found to be less than 7% for both analytes for concentrations equal to or higher than 5 μg/L. Pool water samples were analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Neither octinoxate nor oxybenzone were detected in the swimming pool water samples at concentrations above the respective limits of detection.     

Covalently bonded aptamer‐functionalised magnetic mesoporous carbon for high‐efficiency chloramphenicol detection

A novel aptamer‐modified magnetic mesoporous carbon was prepared to develop a specific and sensitive magnetic solid‐phase extraction method through combination with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis chloramphenicol in complex samples. More specifically, the chloramphenicol aptamer‐modified Mg/Al layered double hydroxide magnetic mesoporous carbon was employed as a novel magnetic solid‐phase extraction sorbent for analyte enrichment and sample clean‐up. The extraction solvent, extraction time, desorption solvent, and desorption time were investigated. It was found that the mesoporous structure and aptamer‐based affinity interactions resulted in acceptable selective recognition and a good chemical stability toward trace amounts of chloramphenicol. Upon combination with the ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry technique, a specific and sensitive recognition method was developed with a low limit of detection (0.94 pmol/L, S/N = 3) for chloramphenicol analysis. The developed method was successfully employed for the determination of chloramphenicol in complex serum, milk powders, fish and chicken samples, giving recoveries of 87.0‐107% with relative standard deviations of 3.1‐9.7%.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soy isoflavone nutraceutical products by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

Thirteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been determined in soy‐based nutraceutical products. First, an optimization of extraction procedure was performed, and a solid–liquid extraction assisted by sonication and a dilute and shoot procedure were compared, selecting the dilute and shoot approach for the extraction of target compounds, utilizing a mixture of acetone/n‐hexane (1:1 v/v) as extractant solvent. After this, a clean‐up step was needed bearing in mind the complexity of these matrices. Dispersive solid‐phase extraction, using a mixture of C₁₈ and Zr‐Sep+ (25 mg/mL each) was used. The separation was achieved by gas chromatography and detection with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. For quantification purposes, matrix‐matched calibration was used. The validation was applied at three concentration levels (20, 100 and 250 μg/kg), obtaining recoveries between 70 and 120% and precision values equal to or lower than 23%. Limits of detection and quantification were below 8 and 20 μg/kg, respectively. The method was applied in 11 samples, detecting five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at concentrations ranging from 4.1 to 18.5 μg/kg.     

Multiclass method for the quantification of 92 veterinary antimicrobial drugs in livestock excreta,wastewater, and surface water by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A simple multiresidue method was developed for detecting and quantifying 92 veterinary antimicrobial drugs from eight classes (β‐lactams, quinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, lincomycins, macrolides, chloramphenicols, and pleuromutilin) in livestock excreta and water by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The feces samples were extracted by ultrasound‐assisted extraction with a mixture of acetonitrile/water (80:20, v/v) and edetate disodium, followed by a cleanup using solid‐phase extraction with an amino cartridge. Water samples were purified with hydrophilic–lipophilic balance solid‐phase extraction column. Urine samples were extracted with acetonitrile and edetate disodium. Detection of veterinary antimicrobial drugs was achieved by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry using both positive and negative electrospray ionization mode. The recovery values of veterinary antimicrobial drugs in feces, urine, and water samples were 75–99, 85–110, and 85–101% and associated relative standard deviations were less than 15, 10, and 8%, respectively. The limits of quantification in feces, urine, and water samples were 0.5–1, 0.5–1, and 0.01–0.05 μg/L, respectively. This method was applied to determine real samples obtained from local farms and provides reliable quantification and identification results of 92 veterinary antimicrobial drugs in livestock excreta and water.     

Multiclass and multiresidue screening of veterinary drugs and pesticides in infant formula using Quadrupole‐Orbitrap MS with PRM scan mode

A multiclass and multiresidue method for screening veterinary drugs and pesticides in infant formula was developed and validated using ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to Quadrupole‐Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐HRMS). A total of 49 veterinary drugs and pesticides investigated belong to 11 classes including antivirals, anticoccidials, macrolides, pyrethroids, insecticides, sulfonamides, beta‐agonists, sedatives, thyreostats, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, and other pharmacologically active substances. A generic sample preparation and highly selective acquisition mode of parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) were deliberately incorporated to perform efficient screening analysis. As a result, the screening target concentrations of the analytes varied from 1 to 500 μg/kg with ≤5% of false compliant rate as specified in Decision 2002/657/EC for screening analysis. The average recoveries ranged from 40.7 to 124.9% as well as the relative standard deviations from 4.2 to 26.6%, respectively. The matrix effects and interferences were effectively controlled by integrated application of dispersive solid phase extraction, PRM scan mode, and matrix‐matched standard calibration. The proposed method will be helpful to provide applicable strategy for screening residues in infant formula with surveillance purpose.     

Applications of solid‐phase micro‐extraction with mass spectrometry in pesticide analysis

Pesticides, widely applied in agriculture, can produce a variety of transformation products and their continuous use causes deleterious effects to ecosystem. Efficient and sensitive analytical techniques for enrichment and analysis of pesticides samples are highly required. Compared with other extraction methods, solid‐phase micro extraction is a solvent free, cost effective, robust, versatile, and high throughput sample preparation technique, especially for the analysis of pesticides from complicated matrices. Coupling of solid‐phase micro extraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry has been extensively applied in pesticide analysis. On the other hand, in recent years, combination of fast separation using solid‐phase micro extraction and rapid detection using ambient mass spectrometry is providing highly efficient pesticide screening. This article summarizes the applications of solid‐phase micro extraction coupled to mass spectrometry for pesticides analysis.     

Automated headspace solid‐phase microextraction and on‐fiber derivatization for the determination of clenbuterol in meat products by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

A method was developed for the determination of clenbuterol in meat using stable‐isotope‐dilution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry coupled with solid‐phase microextraction and on‐fiber derivatization. The samples were first homogenized with hydrochloric acid followed by protein deposition. After headspace solid‐phase microextraction and on‐fiber derivatization, the content of clenbuterol was measured with the aid of stable‐isotope dilution. The condition of solid‐phase microextraction was optimized by central composite design. The relative standard deviations, limit of detection, and recoveries for clenbuterol were 4.2–9.2%, 0.48 μg/kg, and 96–104%, respectively. The proposed method was satisfactory for analysis of real samples as compared with the Chinese standard method.     

Development of a procedure for the multiresidue analysis of pesticides in vineyard soils and its application to real samples

A procedure for multiresidue analysis was developed for the extraction and determination of 17 pesticides, including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, as well as certain degradation products, in vineyard soils from La Rioja region (Spain). Different solvents and mixtures were tested in spiked pesticide‐free soils, and pesticides were comparatively evaluated by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Recoveries >70%, with relative standard deviations <9%, were obtained when a mixture of methanol/acetone or a mixture of methanol/CaCl₂ 0.01 M for the most polar compounds was selected as the extraction solvent. Method validation was accomplished with acceptable linearity (r² ≥ 0.987) within the concentration range of 0.005–1 μg/mL corresponding to 1.667–333.4 μg/kg and 0.835–167.1 μg/kg for liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, respectively, and detection limits <0.4 μg/kg for the compounds were studied. The extraction method was applied to 17 real vineyard soil samples, and terbuthylazine and its metabolite desethylterbuthylazine were the most ubiquitous compounds, as they were detected in the 100% of the soils analyzed. The presence of fungicides was also high, and the presence of insecticides was lower than other pesticides. The results confirm the usefulness of the optimized procedure for monitoring residues in vineyard soils.     

Solidification of floating organic droplet microextraction for determination of seven insecticides in fruit juice,vegetables and agricultural runoff using gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometry detection

Liquid microextraction employing solidification of the floating organic droplet, with vortexing and heating to optimize extraction efficiency, was developed for the determination of seven insecticides in fruit juice, vegetables, and agricultural runoff water. The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with both flame ionization and mass spectrometry detection for the determination of chlorpyrifos, prothiofos, profenofos, ethion, λ‐cyhalothrin, permethrin, and cypermethrin, respectively. Using 20 μL of 1‐undecanol in 10 mL of aqueous solution containing 1% w/v sodium chloride provided preconcentration factor of 500. The enrichment factor of the analytes was in the range of 355 to 509 with extraction recovery >71%. The linearity ranges were 4–200 μg/kg for gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and 1–100 μg/kg for gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, with limits of detection ranging from 0.04 to 1.2 μg/kg, which are lower than the international maximum residue limits for vegetables and fruit juice. Intra‐day and inter‐day precisions are less than 5.4 and 7.0% relative standard deviation, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the seven insecticides in samples of vegetables, fruit juice and agricultural runoff, with recoveries ranging from 61.7 to 120.8%. The extraction method is simple, efficient and environmentally friendly.     

Isotope dilution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the analysis of 4‐octyl phenol, 4‐nonylphenol,and bisphenol A in vegetable oils

By the combination of solid‐phase extraction as well as isotope dilution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, a sensitive and reliable method for the determination of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals including bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol in vegetable oils was established. The application of a silica/N‐(n‐propyl)ethylenediamine mixed solid‐phase extraction cartridge achieved relatively low matrix effects for bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol in vegetable oils. Experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of derivatization, and the extraction parameters were optimized. The estimated limits of detection and quantification for bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol were 0.83 and 2.5 μg/kg, respectively. In a spiked experiment in vegetable oils, the recovery of the added bisphenol A was 97.5–110.3%, recovery of the added 4‐octylphenol was 64.4–87.4%, and that of 4‐nonylphenol was 68.2–89.3%. This sensitive method was then applied to real vegetable oil samples from Zhejiang Province of China, and none of the target compounds were detected.     

Quantification of midazolam,morphine and metabolites in plasma using 96‐well solid‐phase extraction and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Currently, pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic studies of sedatives and analgesics are performed in neonates and children to find suitable dose regimens. As a result, sensitive assays using only small volumes of blood are necessary to determine drug and metabolite concentrations. We developed an ultra‐performance liquid chromatographic method with tandem mass spectrometry detection for quantification of midazolam, 1‐hydroxymidazolam, hydroxymidazolamglucuronide, morphine, morphine‐3‐glucuronide and morphine‐6‐glucuronide in 100 μL of plasma. Cleanup consisted of 96 wells micro‐solid phase extraction, before reversed‐phase chromatographic separation (ultra‐performance liquid chromatography) and selective detection using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Separate solid‐phase extraction methods were necessary to quantify morphine, midazolam and their metabolites because of each group's physicochemical properties. Standard curves were linear over a large dynamic range with adequate limits of quantitation. Intra‐ and interrun accuracy and precision were within 85–115% (of nominal concentration using a fresh calibration curve) and 15% (coefficient of variation, CV) respectively. Recoveries were >80% for all analytes, with interbatch CVs (as a measure of matrix effects) of less than 15% over six batches of plasma. Stability in plasma and extracts was sufficient, allowing large autosampler loads. Runtime was 3.00 min per sample for each method. The combination of 96‐well micro‐SPE and UPLC‐MS/MS allows reliable quantification of morphine, midazolam and their major metabolites in 100 μL of plasma. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification and quantification of 34 drugs and toxic compounds in blood,urine, and gastric content using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous screening of 34 drugs and poisons in forensic cases. Blood (0.5 mL, diluted 1:1 with water) or 1.0 mL of urine was purified by solid‐phase extraction. Gastric contents (diluted 1:1 with water) were treated with acetonitrile, centrifuged, and supernatant injected. Detection was achieved using a Waters Alliance 2695/Quattro Premier XE liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry system equipped with electrospray ionization, operated in the multiple reaction monitoring modes. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, and recovery. The absolute recovery of drugs and toxic compounds in blood was greater than 51% with the limit of detection in the range of 0.02–20 ng/mL. The absolute recovery of drugs and toxic compounds in urine was greater than 61% with limit of detection in the range of 0.01–10 ng/mL. The matrix effect of drugs and toxic compounds in urine was 65–117% and 67–121% in blood. The limit of detection of drugs and toxic compounds in gastric content samples were in the range of 0.05–20 ng/mL. This method was applied to the routine analysis of drugs and toxic compounds in postmortem blood, urine, and gastric content samples. The method was applied to actual forensic cases with examples given.     

Determination of aminoglycoside residues in kidney and honey samples by hydrophilic interaction chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Two methods based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry were developed for the determination of ten aminoglycosides (streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, spectinomycin, apramycin, paromomycin, kanamycin A, gentamycin C1, gentamycin C2/C2a, gentamycin C1a, and neomycin B) in kidney samples from food‐producing animals and in honey samples. The methods involved extraction with an aqueous solution (for the kidney samples) or sample dissolution in water (for the honey samples), solid‐phase extraction with a weak cation exchange cartridge and injection of the eluate into a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry system. A zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography column was used for separation of aminoglycosides and a triple quadrupole mass analyzer was used for detection. The methods were validated according to Decision 2002/657/EC. The limits of quantitation ranged from 2 to 125 μg/kg in honey and 25 to 264 μg/kg in the kidney samples. Interday precision (RSD%) ranged from 6 to 26% in honey and 2 to 21% in kidney. Trueness, expressed as the percentage of error, ranged from 7 to 20% in honey and 1 to 11% in kidney.