Study of high-resolution mass spectrometry technology as a replacement for tandem mass spectrometry in the field of quantitative pesticide residue analysis

A validated LC/MS/MS-based multiresidue pesticide method was converted to an LC high-resolution MS single-stage Orbitrap platform. No changes regarding the cleanup and LC were made. Optimization of high-resolution MS-specific parameters and interface settings was kept at a minimum. The aim was to explore the capability of current Orbitrap technology to substitute for LC/MS/MS technology. The test included the quantitative performance (sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, accuracy, and precision) of some 240 analytes in three different matrixes. The LC/MS/MS instrumentation was operated at the edge of its technical limitations. A further extension of the number of analytes for LC/MS/MS would require the use of even narrower dwell times, significantly reducing sensitivity and reproducibility of measurement. No such limitations exist for the high-resolution technology. Similar performance was observed for both technologies. A current drawback of the high-resolution technology is the speed of data processing, which took significantly longer than for LC/MS/MS data due to the limited capabilities of the software.     

Solid-phase microextraction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of chlorophenols in environmental samples

Liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS), using negative ion detection in a triple quadrupole instrument, was used for the determination of chlorophenols (CPs) in environmental samples. In-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) was compared with MS/MS fragmentation. In general, less fragmentation was observed in MS/MS as compared with in-source CID, with the latter providing more intense fragment ions due to chemical ionisation. Under MS/MS conditions [M - H - HCl](-) was the main fragment ion observed for all compounds except for pentachlorophenol, which showed no fragmentation. For multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) acquisition mode, the transition from [M - H](-) to [M - H - HCl](-) was selected, leading to detection limits down to 0.3 ng injected. Direct and headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) were used as preconcentration procedures for the analysis of CPs in wood and in industrially contaminated soils. CPs were quantified by standard addition, which led to good reproducibility (RSD between 4 and 11%) in both SIM and MRM modes, and detection limits down to ng/g. The combination of MS/MS and in-source CID allowed confirmation of the presence of CPs in environmental samples.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定废水中18种酚类污染物

建立了上清液直接进样-高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时测定废水中18种酚类污染物的分析方法。取5.0 mL水样置于具塞离心管中,加氨水调节pH≥12,摇匀,加入1.0 mL二氯甲烷-正己烷(2: 1, v/v)混合溶液并振摇5 min, 4000 r/min离心5 min,用玻璃针筒抽取上清液并经0.22 μ m聚四氟乙烯滤膜过滤,用甲酸调节水样pH至中性;然后采用Thermo Hypersil ODS柱(100 mm×2.1 mm, 5.0 μ m)分离,以甲醇-0.01 mol/L甲酸铵-甲酸水溶液(pH 4.0)为流动相进行梯度洗脱,流速0.2 mL/min,柱温30℃,进样10 μ L,电喷雾负离子电离(ESI^-)模式、多反应监测(MRM)模式进行检测,外标法定量。18种酚类化合物的峰面积与其质量浓度在一定浓度范围内均呈良好的线性关系(r²≥0.9991),方法检出限为0.10~0.88 μ g/L。测定低、中、高加标浓度的样品,18种酚类化合物的相对标准偏差为2.5%~9.9%(n=6);火工药剂废水与石油化工废水样品中的平均加标回收率为68.7%~118%(n=3)。此方法操作简单,灵敏度高,干扰小,分析速度快,可适用于环境废水中18种酚类污染物的同时分析。     

MALDI TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry as a new tool for amino acid analysis

This is the first report of an application of collisionally induced fragmentation of amino acids (AA) and their derivatives by MALDI TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry (MS). In this work, we collected the data on high-energy fragmentation reactions of a large group of protonated amino acids and their derivatives with the goal of determining which product ions are analyte specific and if yields of these fragment could be used for quantitative analysis. From 34 different amino acids (20 alpha-amino acids, beta-amino acids, homocysteine, GABA, and modified AA Met sulfone and sulfoxide, hydroxyproline, etc.) we observed that high yields of the target specific immonium ions and fragmentation patterns are most similar to EI or FAB CID on sector instruments. The major exceptions were two highly basic amino acids, Arg and Orn. It is noted that neither beta-, gamma-, nor delta-amino acids produce immonium ions. As might be predicted from high-energy CID work on peptides from the sectors and TOF/TOF, the presence of specific indicator ions in MALDI tandem MS allows distinguishing isomeric and isobaric amino acids. These indicator ions, in combination with careful control of data acquisition, ensure quantitative analysis of amino acids. We believe our data provide strong basis for the application of MALDI TOF/TOF MS/MS in qualitative and quantitative analysis of amino and organic acids, including application in clinical medicine.     

磁性固相萃取-高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定环境水样中的四环素类抗生素

建立了磁性固相萃取-高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时测定环境水样中四环素类抗生素的方法。以6种四环素类抗生素(差向四环素、土霉素、四环素、去甲金霉素、金霉素和脱水四环素)为目标化合物,考察并优化了吸附和解吸条件,确定了最佳萃取条件。萃取后的目标化合物经ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C₁₈柱分离,用高效液相色谱-串联质谱在多反应监测(MRM)模式下进行检测。在优化的条件下,6种四环素在1~100 μg/L范围内线性关系良好,线性相关系数为0.9967~0.9993,检出限为2.44~25.21 ng/L,样品加标回收率为80.6%~90.0%,日内相对标准偏差(RSDs)为0.6%~2.5%,日间RSDs为1.1%~7.1%。该方法灵敏度高、背景干扰低,适用于环境水样中6种痕量四环素类抗生素的同时检测。     

New developments in the analysis of fragrances and earthy-musty compounds in water by solid-phase microextraction (metal alloy fibre) coupled with gas chromatography-(tandem) mass spectrometry

Fragrances are widespread aquatic contaminants due to their presence in many personal care products used daily in developed countries. Levels of galaxolide and tonalide are commonly found in surface waters, urban wastewaters and river sediments. On the other hand, earthy-musty compounds confer bad odour to drinking water at levels that challenge the analytical capabilities. The combined determination of earthy-musty compounds and fragrances in water would be a breakthrough to make the traditional organoleptic evaluation of the water quality stricter and safer for the analyst. Two approaches were attempted to improve the analytical capabilities: analyte pre-concentration with a newly developed PDMS-DVB solid-phase microextraction fibre on metal alloy core and sensitive detection by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The optimization of SPME parameters was carried out using a central composite design and desirability functions. The final optimum extraction conditions were: headspace extraction at 70 °C during 40 min adding 200 g L⁻¹ of NaCl. The detection limits in tandem MS (0.02-20 ng L⁻¹) were marginally lower compared to full scan except for geosmin and trichloroanisol which go down to 0.1 and 0.02 ng L⁻¹, respectively.The analysis of different water matrices revealed that fragrances and earthy-musty compounds were absent from ground- and drinking waters. Surface waters of river Leça contained levels of galaxolide around 250 ng L⁻¹ in the 4 terminal sampling stations, which are downstream of WWTPs and polluted tributaries. Geosmine was ubiquitously distributed in natural waters similarly in rivers Leça and Douro at concentrations <7 ng L⁻¹.     

Demonstration of the capabilities of a parallel high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry system for use in the analysis of drug discovery plasma samples.

There is a continuing need for increased throughput in the evaluation of new drug entities in terms of their pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters. This report describes an alternative procedure for increasing the throughput of plasma samples assayed in one overnight analysis: the use of parallel high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (parallel LC/MS/MS). For this work, two HPLC systems were linked so that their combined effluent flowed into one tandem MS system. The parallel HPLC/APCI-MS/MS system consisted of two Waters 2690 Alliance systems (each one included an HPLC pump and an autosampler) and one Finnigan TSQ 7000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Therefore, the simultaneous chromatographic separation of the plasma samples was carried out in parallel on two HPLC systems. The MS data system was able to deconvolute the data to calculate the results for the samples. Using this system, 20 compounds were tested in one overnight assay using the rapid rat PK screening model which includes a total of 10 standards plus samples and two solvent blanks per compound tested. This application provides an additional means of increasing throughput in the drug discovery PK assay arena; using this approach a two-fold increase in throughput can be achieved in the assay part of the drug discovery rat PK screening step.     

Development of a solid-phase extraction with capillary liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for analysis of estrogens in environmental water samples

Capillary liquid chromatography (cLC) hyphenated with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) was used to separate and quantitate trace concentrations of five estrogens in aqueous samples. New C(18)-based sorption materials bound to the silica support by monomeric and polymeric mechanisms were compared and tested for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of selected analytes with respect to optimization of their preconcentration yield. Application of an endcapped, monomer-bound preconcentration Discovery DSC-18Lt column under the optimized conditions provides yields in the range from 95 to 100% with a high repeatability (n=3, RSD≤7.2%). Using the electrospray ionization in the positive mode (ESI+), the cLC-MS-MS system (the Zorbax SB C18 capillary column and a binary mobile phase of acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% formic acid in both the components) was optimized to attain a sufficient retention of the early eluting estriol, a satisfactory resolution of the analytes and the maximum sensitivity of the determination. Both the isocratic and gradient elution were used and the optimized gradient method permitted analyses of aqueous environmental samples in 14 min within a linearity range from 6.1 to 25.0 (LOQ of analytes) to 500 ng/L and with a very good linearity (r>0.9981) for all the estrogens studied. The detection limits are in the range from 3.0 to 6.8 ng/L (1 μL injection volume). Six environmental water samples were analyzed and the studied estrogens were found in the Vltava river sample collected in Prague (13.2 ng/L for 17β-estradiol) and in the inlet to the wastewater treatment plant in Prague, at an overall concentration of 371.4 ng/L.     

Implementing tandem mass spectrometry as a routine tool for characterizing the complete purine and pyrimidine metabolic profile in urine samples

Purines and pyrimidines are the basic constituents of DNA and RNA and constitute the basis of at least 50 other important compounds that serve equally vital but separate roles as integral components of intracellular mononucleotide pools. They maintain the supply of these basic components to the different nucleotide pools through an extremely efficient mechanism involving the degradation and recycling of the daily waste products of normal cell turnover. We have developed an LC-MS/MS diagnostic and routine monitoring method for known defects due to both purine and pyrimidine metabolism in a single analysis. Precision tests were made by spiking several urine samples with different creatinine concentrations. For nonspiked low-creatinine urine, intraday precision was in the range of 0.1-9.8% and interday precision was between 1.6 and 14.1%. For nonspiked high-creatinine urine, intraday precision was in the range 0.5-17.2% and interday precision was between 1.5 and 29%. Limit-of-detection (LOD) was in the range 0.1-10 micromol/l and limit-of-quantification (LOQ) in the range of 0.2-15 micromol/l. The current 'dilute and shoot' approach monitors many metabolites, and utilizes a reverse phase chromatographic analysis with a detection requiring 17 min of analysis time. Tandem mass spectrometry and isotope dilution technique enable the accurate quantitation of more than 30 metabolites in one analysis.     

High resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry in comparison with tandem mass spectrometry for confirmation of anabolic steroids in meat

A prominent trend which has been observed in recent years in the analysis of veterinary drugs and growth-promoting agents is the shift from target-oriented procedures, mainly based on liquid chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS), towards accurate mass full scan MS (such as time of flight (ToF) and Fourier Transform (FT) Orbitrap MS). In this study the applicability of high resolution single-stage-Orbitrap-MS for confirmatory analysis of growth-promoting agents in meat was compared to that of a QqQ-MS. Validation according to CD 2002/657/EC demonstrated that steroid analysis based on Orbitrap MS, operating at a resolution of 50,000 FWHM, is indeed capable to compete with QqQ-MS in terms of selectivity/specificity, while providing excellent linearity (for most compounds >0.99) but somewhat inferior sensitivity. Indeed, CC_αs reached from 0.04–0.88 μg kg⁻¹ for the 34 anabolic steroids upon MS/MS detection, while upon Orbitrap MS detection a range of 0.07–2.50 μg kg⁻¹ was observed. Using QqQ-MS adequate precision was obtained since relative standard deviations, associated with the repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility, were below 20%. In the case of Orbitrap MS, for some compounds (i.e. some estrogens) this threshold was exceeded and thus poor precision was observed, which is possibly caused by the lack in sensitivity. Overall, it may be concluded that Orbitrap-MS offers an adequate performance in terms of linearity and precision but lacks in sensitivity for some of the compounds.     

Inorganic mass spectrometry as a tool for characterisation at the nanoscale

Inorganic mass spectrometry techniques may offer great potential for the characterisation at the nanoscale, because they provide unique elemental information of great value for a better understanding of processes occurring at nanometre-length dimensions. Two main groups of techniques are reviewed: those allowing direct solid analysis with spatial resolution capabilities, i.e. lateral (imaging) and/or in-depth profile, and those for the analysis of liquids containing colloids. In this context, the present capabilities of widespread elemental mass spectrometry techniques such as laser ablation coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), glow discharge mass spectrometry and secondary ion/neutral mass spectrometry are described and compared through selected examples from various scientific fields. On the other hand, approaches for the characterisation (i.e. size, composition, presence of impurities, etc.) of colloidal solutions containing nanoparticles by the well-established ICP-MS technique are described. In this latter case, the capabilities derived from the on-line coupling of separation techniques such as field-flow fractionation and liquid chromatography with ICP-MS are also assessed. Finally, appealing trends using ICP-MS for bioassays with biomolecules labelled with nanoparticles are delineated.      

高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱法检测环境水样中22种抗生素类药物

建立了高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱(HPLC-ESI MS/MS)分析环境水样中22种抗生素类药物的方法。采用HLB固相萃取柱对环境水样中的目标化合物进行富集、净化,然后以6 mL氨水-甲醇(5:95, v/v)溶液洗脱。收集的洗脱液经氮气吹干至1 mL,然后进行HPLC-ESI MS/MS分离分析。色谱流动相A相为甲醇-乙腈(1:1, v/v), B相为0.3%(体积分数)甲酸水溶液(含0.1%(体积分数)甲酸铵,pH 2.9);色谱柱为XTerra MS C18柱。质谱检测采用正离子扫描,多反应监测模式。分别以自来水和污水作为基质,22种抗生素类药物的加标平均回收率分别为54.9%～130%和57.4%～138%,相对标准偏差(n=3)分别为2.85%～28.6%和2.02%～23.2%;方法的检出限为0.05～0.5 ng/L。将建立的方法应用于北京市高碑店湖和小清河水样的分析,结果表明在两个水样中均有部分抗生素类药物检出。     

Trace analysis of isothiazolinones in water samples by large-volume direct injection liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Isothiazolinones are used as preservatives, biocides and disinfectants in a variety of industrial and domestic applications. Some of the isothiazolinones are difficult to isolate from water due their high polarity. A sensitive and selective analytical method was developed and optimized for the determination of sub-μg/L levels of three isothiazolinones in water samples. Three isothiazolinones are described in this paper: 2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone, 5-chloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone and 4,5-dichloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone. The analytical method involves a robust large-volume direct on-column loop injection of 2 mL on an Aqua ODS HPLC column and tandem MS detection (HPLC–MS/MS). After filtration, samples are directly injected without further pretreatment. Detection limits of the individual target compounds were between 0.03 and 0.1 μg/L employing Multi-Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry. Based on the constant ratio of two selected product-ions together with the retention time, the identification is very selective and quantification is reliable. The method was successfully applied to real samples of membrane flushings, drinking water, surface waters and waste water. Additional investigations showed the instability of the isothiazolinones in river- and waste water. Preservation of river water and waste water samples with sodium azide (NaN₃) promotes the stability of the isothiazolines in solution. In membrane flushings, waste water, surface waters and drinking water, levels of the three isothiazolinones were all below the limit of detection. In effluents of households containing washings from normal shampoo use, isothiazolinones could be detected.     

A ratiometric fluorescent chemodosimeter for Cu(II) in water with high selectivity and sensitivity

Coumarin derivative 1 was synthesized as an efficient ratiometric chemodosimeter for the detection of Cu(II) in 99% water/DMSO (v/v) at pH 7.0. Mechanism studies suggested that 1 formed a complex with Cu(II) at 2:1 ratio accompanied by quenching of green fluorescence at 524 nm; when the solution was heated to 50 °C for 30 min, Cu(II)-promoted hydrolysis of coumarin lactone moiety of 1 occurred with bright blue fluorescence at 451 nm emerged. With fluorescence intensity ratio detection at 451 nm and 524 nm, 1 features an excellent sensitivity with the detection limit of 15 nmol L⁻¹ toward Cu(II) and a good selectivity over other metal ions.     

Determination of diquat and paraquat in water by liquid chromatography-(electrospray ionization) mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of the herbicides diquat and paraquat in water was developed using liquid chromatography-(electrospray ionization) mass spectrometry [LC-(ESI)MS]. The analytes were isolated on an ENVI-8 DSK solid phase extraction (SPE) disk and eluted with 5-M trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The eluate was evaporated to dryness and the analytes were redissolved in the mobile phase (7% methanol/93% water/25-mM TFA). The extract was analyzed by liquid chromatography (C1 column) with postcolumn addition of propionic acid/methanol followed by (ESI)MS. Diquat was detected using the [M²⁺ ? H⁺] ion (M²⁺ = dication) at m/z 183, whereas paraquat was detected using the mono-trifluoroacetate ion pair [M²⁺/^?OOCCF₃] at m/z 299. Quantitation was done by isotope dilution mass spectrometry using d ₄-diquat and d ₈-paraquat and the corresponding ions [M²⁺ ? D⁺] and [M²⁺/^?OOCCF₃] at m/z 186 and m/z 307, respectively. Detection limits of 0. 1 and 0. 2 µg/L, respectively (based on the dications), were adequate to meet the Ontario Drinking Water Objectives of 70 and 10 µg/L, respectively, and the Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objective for diquat of 0. 5 µg/L. Precision and accuracy were 14% and 6% for diquat and 12% and 3% for paraquat.     

Determination of antibiotic compounds in water by solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-(electrospray) mass spectrometry

We developed a sensitive method based on solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using an electrospray interface for the determination of four tetracyclines and two quinolones in water. The method was applied to river, well and sewage-treatment-plant waters. For the solid-phase extraction of 1000 ml river water samples, recoveries were between 88 and 112% and limits of detection were as low as 4 and 6 ng l(-1). Recoveries were higher than 64% for 1000 ml well water samples for the majority of the compounds. For the influent and effluent of the sewage-treatment-plant sample volumes of 100 and 250 ml were extracted, respectively. The method developed allowed ciprofloxacin to be determined in samples from the influent and effluent of the sewage-treatment-plant at 0.58 and 0.60 microg l(-1), respectively.     

同位素稀释-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定精油中的7种雌性激素

建立了采用同位素稀释-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时快速测定精油中7种雌性激素(雌三醇、雌二醇、雌酮、炔雌醇、己二烯雌酚、己烷雌酚、己烯雌酚)的方法。样品中雌性激素用乙酸乙酯-正己烷(2:98, v/v)溶液提取后,经硅胶固相萃取小柱净化,通过ACQUITY UPLCTM BEH SHELD RP18色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm)、以水-乙腈作流动相梯度洗脱对7种雌性激素进行分离,采用串联质谱在负离子扫描方式下通过多反应监测(MRM)模式进行定性定量分析。以雌三醇-D3、雌二醇-D3、己烯雌酚-D6为内标,有效减少了样品基质的影响。该方法对精油中7种雌激素的检出限(LOD)为0.3～7 μg/kg,定量限(LOQ)为1～20 μg/kg。待测物与内标物定量离子的峰面积比值与待测物的质量浓度在20～500 μg/L范围内呈良好的线性关系,相关系数(r2)均大于0.997;在20～500 μg/kg范围内3个水平的加标平均回收率为88.5%～114.8%,日内精密度(以相对标准偏差计)(n=6)为4.8%～18.9%。应用该方法对浙江杭州地区不同超市或美容院随机采集的12份精油样品进行测定的结果显示,有1份样品含有雌二醇和雌酮,其余11份样品均未检出雌性激素。     

ICP-atomic emission spectrometry as a tool for flexible single-element analysis of non-routine samples

Summary This paper deals with flexible single-element analysis using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Some non-routine problems encountered in the daily practice of an analytical service group in a research laboratory of a large electronic industry were handled with ICP-AES and — when rational — also with wet-chemical techniques including atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The analyses covered micro and macro samples and involved the determination of trace constituents: Ni in a CrO₃-sulphuric acid etching liquid, Sn in 18% sulphuric acid, and B in TiO₂ powder; a minor constituent: Cr in Mg-ferrite; major constituents: Sm and Co in an Sm-Co alloy, Fe, Al and Si in a thin Fe-Al-Si layer, B and Li in LiBF₄, Si in thin Si₃N₄ layers, and Y and Eu in a thin Y₂O₃-Eu₂O₃ layer. The power of ICPAES as an analytical tool for solving a variety of nonroutine analytical problems with a relatively simple spectroscopic approach and little chemical treatment of the sample solutions became quite evident.

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ICP-AES als Verfahren für flexible Einzelelementanalysen von Nicht-Routine-Proben

Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit betrifft die flexible Einzelelementanalyse mittels atomarer Emissionsspektrometrie unter Verwendung eines induktiv gekoppelten Hochfrequenzplasmas (ICP-AES). Es wurde mit ICP-AES und — soweit es vernünftig war — auch mit naß-chemischen Methoden einschließlich Atomabsorption (AAS) eine Reihe von Analysenproblemen bearbeitet, die nicht als Routine-Probleme zu bezeichnen sind, jedoch zum täglichen Aufgabenangebot einer analytischen Service-Gruppe in einem Forschungslabor eines großen Unternehmens der Elektronik-Industrie gehören. Die Analysen bezogen sich auf Mikround Makroproben und umfaßten die Bestimmung von Spuren: Ni in einer Chromoxid-Schwefelsäure-Ätzflüssigkeit, Sn in 18%-iger Schwefelsäure und B in TiO₂-Pulver; die Bestimmung einer Nebenkomponente: Cr in Mg-Ferrit; ferner die Bestimmung von Hauptkomponenten: Sm und Co in einer Sm-Co-Legierung, Fe, Al und Si in einer Fe-Al-Si-Dünnschicht, B und Li in LiBF₄, Si in Si₃N₄-Dünnschichten und Y und Eu in einer Y₂O₃-Eu₂O₃-Dünnschicht. Die Möglichkeit, mit ICP-AES eine Vielfalt von Analyseproblemen bei verhältnismäßig geringem spektroskopischem Arbeitsaufwand und nur wenigen chemischen Behandlungen der Probelösungen zu bewältigen, wurde eindeutig nachgewiesen.

     

Solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry for the selective determination of fungicides in wine samples

In this work, a reliable and selective procedure for the determination of thirteen fungicides in red and white wine samples is proposed. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography (LC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), based on a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) system, were used as sample preparation and determination techniques, respectively. Extraction and purification of target analytes was carried out simultaneously by using a reversed-phase Oasis HLB (200mg) SPE cartridge combined with acetonitrile as elution solvent. Fungicides were determined operating the electrospray source in the positive ionization mode, with MS/MS conditions adjusted to obtain at least two intense product ions per compound, or registering two transitions per species when a single product was noticed. High selective MS/MS chromatograms were extracted using a mass window of 20 ppms for each product ion. Considering external calibration as quantification technique, the overall recoveries (accuracy) of the procedure ranged between 81% and 114% for red and white wine samples (10-20 mL), spiked at different concentrations between 5 and 100 ng mL(-1). Relative standard deviations of the above data stayed below 12% and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of the method, calculated for 10 mL of wine, varied between 0.1 ng mL(-1) for cyprodinil (CYP) and 0.7 ng mL(-1) for myclobutanil (MYC). The optimized method was applied to seventeen commercial wines produced in Spain and obtained from local supermarkets. Nine fungicides were determined, at levels above the LOQs of the method, in the above samples. The maximum concentrations and the highest occurrence frequencies corresponded to metalaxyl (MET) and iprovalicarb (IPR).