Use of pressurized liquid extraction for the simultaneous analysis of 28 polar and 94 non-polar pesticides in agricultural soils by GC/QqQ-MS/MS and UPLC/QqQ-MS/MS

Due to the wide range of pesticides that can be used in agriculture, the development of fast multiresidue methods that simultaneously determine polar and non-polar pesticides is greatly demanded. This study shows the development and validation of a multiresidue method for the analysis of 98 non-polar pesticides and 28 polar pesticides in soil. A simultaneous extraction step by pressurized liquid extraction was utilized. The optimum results were obtained using ethyl acetate-methanol (3:1, v/v) with 2 min of preheat time and 85 degrees C as the extraction temperature. The final determination of non-polar pesticides was performed by GC, whereas polar pesticides were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Both GC and UPLC were coupled to triple-quadrupole analyzers operating in tandem MS. The optimized extraction procedure was validated. The average extraction recoveries were in the range 72-108% (10 microg/kg) and 71-106% (50 microg/kg), with RSD values < or = 26%. The matrix effect was also evaluated, and matrix-matched standard calibration was finally applied for quantification. The suitability of the method was also checked by the analysis of a certified reference material. Furthermore, 26 real soil samples were analyzed by the proposed methods in order to assess their applicability. Several pesticides (e.g., bifenthrin, triadimefon, or endosulfan) were found in the samples.     

Determination of some organophosphorus and azole group pesticides in water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with GC/MS

A dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure coupled with GC/MS detection is described for preconcentration and determination of some organophosphorus and azole group pesticides from water samples. Experimental conditions affecting the DLLME procedure were optimized by means of an experimental design. A mixture of 60 microL chlorobenzene (extraction solvent) and 750 microL acetonitrile (disperser solvent), 3.5 min extraction time, and 7.5 mL aqueous sample volume were chosen for the best recovery by DLLME. The linear range was 1.6-32 microg/L. The LOD ranged from 48.8 to 68.7 ng/L. The RSD values for organophosphorus and azole group pesticides at spiking levels of 3, 6, and 9 microg/L in water samples were in the range of 1.1-12.8%. The applicability and accuracy of the developed method were determined by analysis of spiked water samples, and the recoveries of the analyzed pesticides from artesian, stream, and tap waters at spiking levels of 3, 6, and 9 microg/L were 89.3-105.6, 89.5-103.0, and 92.0-111.3%, respectively.     

Simultaneous determination of 109 pesticides in unpolished rice by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and Florisil column purification, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A multi-residue method is described for the simultaneous analysis of 109 pesticides with different properties in unpolished rice. The range covers organophosphorus, organochlorine, carbamate, and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides. The pesticides were extracted from the sample using ethyl acetate. Most higher molecular weight components such as lipids in the co-extractives were removed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with a Bio-bead SX-3 column. A Florisil column with ethyl acetate/hexane as the eluting solvents was used for further cleanup. The pesticides were finally simultaneously determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The average recoveries for most pesticides (spiked level 0.02, 0.1 and 1 microg/g) ranged from 70% to 110%, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was below 20% in every case, and the limit of detection (LOD) varied from 1 to 20 ng/g.     

Comparison of ultra-performance liquid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of priority pesticides in baby foods by tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

Determination of 16 priority pesticides and transformation products specified in the EU Baby Food Directive 2003/13/EC has been compared using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Prior to analysis, co-extractives were removed from acetonitrile extracts using dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE) with primary secondary amine (50 mg). Extracts spiked with pesticides at 1 microg kg(-1) yielded average recoveries in the range 85-119%, with relative standard deviations less than 17%. The HPLC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS multi-residue methods developed are simple, rapid and suitable for the quantification and confirmation of the 16 priority pesticides in fruit-, potato- and cereal-based baby food at 1 microg kg(-1). The major advantages of UPLC, using 1.7 microm particles, over HPLC are the speed of analysis, the narrower peaks (giving increased signal-to-noise ratio) and improved confirmation for the targeted pesticides in the analyses of baby foods.     

Determination of chloroacetanilides, triazines and phenylureas and some of their metabolites in soils by pressurised liquid extraction, GC-MS/MS, LC-MS and LC-MS/MS

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) technique was used for the simultaneous extraction of phenylureas, triazines and chloroacetanilides and some of their metabolites from soils. Extractions were performed by mixing 15 g of dried soil with 30 mL of acetone under 100 atm at 50 degrees C, during 3 min and with three PLE cycles. Prior to the analysis of naturally contaminated soils, each of the five representative soil matrices used as blanks (of different depths) was spiked in triplicate with standards of each parent and degradation compound at about 10, 30 and 120 microg/kg. For each experiment, isoproturon-D6 and atrazine-D5 were used as surrogates. Analysis of phenylureas and metabolites of triazines and phenylureas was carried out by reversed phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and LC-MS/MS in the positive mode. Gas chromatography (GC)/ion trap mass spectrometry was used in the MS/MS mode for the parent triazines and chloroacetanilides. The average extraction recoveries were above 85%, except for didesmethyl-isoproturon, and quantification limits were between 0.5 and 5 microg/kg. The optimised multi-residue method was applied to soils and solids below the root zone, sampled from agricultural plots of a small French hydrogeological basin.     

Validation of a gas chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry based method for the quantification of pesticides in food commodities

A new multiresidue method has been validated in cucumber matrix for the routine analysis of 130 multiclass pesticide residues by gas chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The pesticides were extracted with ethyl acetate. A first identification of the pesticides was based on a tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) screening method, which monitors a single transition for each target compound, in less than 12 min. After that, potentially non-negative samples were analyzed again by the MS/MS confirmation/quantification method, which monitors two or three MS/MS transitions for each compound, also in less than 12 min. Performance characteristics, such as trueness, precision, linear range, detection limit (LOD) and quantification limit (LOQ), for each pesticide were calculated. The average recoveries obtained ranged between 70 and 120% at three different fortification levels (25, 200 and 500 microg/kg) with precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), values lower than 15%. The calculated LOD and LOQ were typically <3.2 and 9.6 microg/kg, respectively. Such limits were much lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by European legislation. The proposed methodology was applied to the determination of pesticides in real vegetable samples from Almería (Spain).     

Multi-residue analysis of pesticides in tea by online SEC-GC/MS

A multi-residue method for the analysis of pesticides in tea was developed by online size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-GC/MS with full scan mode. The sample was fortified with chlorpyrifos-d(10) isotope internal standard and extracted by acetonitrile. After purification by primary secondary amine sorbent and solvent exchange by SEC mobile phase, the sample was detected by online SEC-GC/MS. The purification result of the online system was evaluated by comparing the correlation between Chinese cabbage and tea matrix. The factors for method optimization included sample preparation, matrix effects and the instrument parameters of each online component. Scatter plot was introduced in this study to directly illustrate the results of the condition optimization and matrix effects in the online system. For most of the pesticides, the average recoveries ranged from 70 to 130% and the RSD were below 15%. The feasibility of the application of full scan mode in multi-residue determination of trace amounts of pesticides (LODs below 0.01 mg/kg) in a complex matrix was discussed.     

LC-MS/MS法同时测定4种中草药中155种农药残留

建立了液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)同时测定4种中草药(甘草、银杏叶、菊花和八角茴香)中155种农药残留方法。样品采用乙腈、无水硫酸镁和乙酸钠分散固相萃取(DSPE),再经Cleanert TPH固相萃取(SPE)柱净化,乙腈/甲苯(8:1,V/V)洗脱,液相色谱串联质谱多反应监测模式下测定,外标法定量。实验结果表明,155种农药的检出限(S/N=3)和定量限(S/N=10)范围分别为0.4～34.1μg/kg和1.3～113.7μg/kg;在1.0～2400.0μg/kg浓度范围内,155种农药中有148种农药在4种中草药中线性相关系数平均值R2≥0.9950;在低、中、高3个添加水平,86.5%～97.4%的农药平均回收率在60%～120%范围,94.2%～100.0%的农药相对标准偏差RSD≤20%(n=5)。该方法适用于中草药中农药多残留检测。     

Optimization of detection conditions and single-laboratory validation of a multiresidue method for the determination of 135 pesticides and 25 organic pollutants in grapes and wine by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

This paper describes single-laboratory validation of a multiresidue method for the determination of 135 pesticides, 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, 12 polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and bisphenol A in grapes and wine by GC/time-of-flight MS in a total run time of 48 min. The method is based on extraction with ethyl acetate in a sample-to-solvent ratio of 1:1, followed by selective dispersive SPE cleanup for grapes and wine. The GC/MS conditions were optimized for the chromatographic separation and to achieve highest S/N for all 160 target analytes, including the temperature-sensitive compounds, like captan and captafol, that are prone to degradation during analysis. An average recovery of 80-120% with RSD < 10% could be attained for all analytes except 17, for which the average recoveries were 70-80%. LOQ ranged within 10-50 ng/g, with < 25% expanded uncertainties, for 155 compounds in grapes and 151 in wine. In the incurred grape and wine samples, the residues of buprofezin, chlorpyriphos, metalaxyl, and myclobutanil were detected, with an RSD of < 5% (n = 6); the results were statistically similar to previously reported validated methods.     

A new approach to the analysis of nicarbazin and ionophores in eggs by HPLC/MS/MS

An HPLC/MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the quantification and confirmation of nicarbazin and ionophores (lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin, and narasin) in eggs. Nicarbazin is determined in the negative electrospray mode with a basic mobile phase that supports creation of negative ions. Consequently, our ability to maintain instrument sensitivity over time has significantly improved. The analysis of the ionophores is done in the positive electrospray mode using ammonium buffer for HPLC separation. Monitoring ammonium adduct parent ions resulted in enhanced sensitivity and better reproducibility of the ionophore analysis. The validation of this improved HPLC/MS/MS method for the detection of nicarbazin and the ionophores demonstrated excellent precision of below 10% RSD and lower LOD values (microg/kg) for nicarbazin (0.018), lasalocid (0.015), monensin (0.015), salinomycin (0.033), and narasin (0.039).     

利用固相萃取-气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱技术快速分析茶叶中3种杀螨剂和八氯二丙醚农药残留

建立了茶叶中3种杀螨剂及八氯二丙醚农药残留快速分析的固相萃取-气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱检测(GC-NCI-MSD)方法,并应用于出口欧盟茶叶中农残检测及基地监管.样品经正己烷-丙酮(1∶1,V∶V)提取后,用固相萃取柱(Agela)除去茶叶中干扰物质,以环氧七氯为内标物,经气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱分时段选择离子监测...     

Determination of seventeen polar/thermolabile pesticides in apples and apricots by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A simple liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) approach for the determination of widely used representatives of polar/thermolabile pesticides in fruits was developed and validated. The group of pesticides comprised benzimidazoles and azoles (carbendazim, thiabendazole, imazalil, propiconazole, prochloraz, epoxiconazole, flusilazole, tebuconazole, bitertanol); N-methylcarbamates (carbaryl, carbofuran, methiocarb); and phenylureas and benzoylphenylureas (linuron, diflubenzuron, triflumuron, teflubenzuron, flufenoxuron). Matrixes (apple, apricot) were extracted with acetonitrile and crude extracts were cleaned up by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using either mixed cation exchange or hydrophilic lipophilic balance cartridges. LC separation of pesticides was performed on a reversed-phase column, Discovery C18. Electrospray ionization and ion trap MS/MS detection were applied. For most pesticides, overall recoveries ranged from 75 to 122%, and repeatability (as relative standard deviation) from 5 repetitive determinations of recovery ranged from 3 to 21%. Carbofuran was the only compound for which recovery was not satisfactory due to its loss in the SPE cleanup step. Limits of detection were 0.1-3 microg/kg for benzimidazole and azole fungicides and carbamate insecticides. For urea insecticides, detection limits were slightly higher (3-10 microg/kg).     

Selected ion storage versus tandem MS/MS for organochlorine pesticides determination in drinking waters with SPME and GC-MS

The use of two modes for mass spectrometry (MS) detection with an ion trap instrument, selected ion storage (SIS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), are compared for the solid-phase microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) determination of 16 priority organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in drinking water samples at the ultratrace levels (ng?L^?1) required by official guidelines in the European legislation. Experimental parameters investigated for the SPME sample preparation were: the type of coating (100?µm polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS, and 65?µm poly(dimethylsiloxane)–divinylbenzene, PDMS/DVB), SPME modality, extraction and desorption times and desorption temperature and the methanol percentage in the SPME working solution. Under the calculated optimal conditions two methodologies were developed, one for SIS and the other for MS/MS modes. The detection limits, precision and accuracy were evaluated for both alternatives and were appropriate to the official guidelines requirements. The SPME–GC-MS(SIS) methodology offered LODs from 0.2–6.6?ng?L^?1, precision below 13% and recoveries between 83 and 110%. The SPME–GC–MS/MS methodology provided limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 0.3 to 7.6 ng?L^?1, % RSD were ≤14% and recoveries of 79–108% were achieved. After the results observed within an Interlaboratory Exercise, the latest MS methodology was selected for the pursued analysis in real drinking water samples. Also, the good results in this round-robin exercise validate the proposed SPME–GC–MS/MS methodology.     

Determination of multiresidue pesticides in green tea by using a modified QuEChERS extraction and ion-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The pesticide residues in exported and imported tea products must not exceed the maximum residue limits (MRLs) regulated by the import countries. Tea is a complex matrix that obfuscates the determination of pesticide residues. Many available methods for multiresidue pesticide analysis of tea are time-consuming and require many cleanup steps. The objective of this study was to develop a simple multiresidue method by using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction and ion-trap GC/MS/MS, which can identify, confirm, and quantify pesticides in complex matrixes. A tea product was homogenized with water, and the pesticides were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid. The extract was subjected to centrifugation, initial cleanup with dispersive SPE (dSPE), solvent exchange, and final cleanup with dSPE. Diethyl-d10-parathion and triphenyl phosphate were used as the internal standard and surrogate, respectively. The final extract was injected into an ITQ 700 gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Quantitation of individual pesticides was based on matrix-matched calibration curves with a correlation coefficient of > 0.9930 for the 22 pesticides selected for the study. The recoveries of the 22 pesticides ranged from 78 to 115%, except those for diazinon (130%) and malathion (122%), with an average RSD of 8.7%. The LOD values of all of the pesticides, except for terbufos, were below the MRLs set by the European Union and Japan.     

Multiresidue GC-MS/MS pesticide analysis for evaluation of tea and herbal infusion safety

ABSTRACT

A fast, simple, low-cost and high-throughput multiresidue pesticide analysis method was developed and validated for 300 pesticides in herbal and fruit infusion samples based on modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) procedure combined with gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method (GC-MS/MS). The objectives were to develop low cost GC-MS/MS method, validate the method in accordance to SANTE/11,813/2017 guidance document and application in routine. The results obtained using different GC and MS/MS parameters were evaluated in order to develop quick, robust, accurate and effective multiresidue method. Total analysis time was 28 min with 0.6 µL injection volume. For accurate quantification, matrix-matched calibration (MMC) curves (in range of 10 µg/kg – 250 µg/kg) were applied to compensate matrix effect. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were ranged between 0.06 µg/kg and 135 µg/kg, and for the majority of the pesticides the LOQ were below the regulatory maximum residue limits. Most recoveries at 10 µg/kg and 100 µg/kg were in the range 70%–120% indicating satisfactory accuracy. The validated method was applied to commercial herbal and fruit infusion products detecting chlorpyriphos, DEET, tebuconazole, terbuthylazine, piperonyl butoxide, biphenyl, pendimethalin, pirimiphos-methyl and p,p’-DDE in more than 100 samples from 1,466 so risk assessment on human health was calculated specially for those pesticides.     

Simultaneous determination of 103 pesticide residues in tea samples by LC‐MS/MS

A simple and sensitive method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 103 pesticide residues in tea by LC‐MS/MS. For the analysis of the pesticide with polarity, thermal lability or low volatility, this LC‐MS/MS method has an advantage over GC. In this work, residual pesticides were extracted from the tea sample with ACN and then purified using Carb‐NH₂ SPE cartridges. Using the multiple reaction monitoring mode, the pesticides were quantified and identified by the most abundant and characteristic fragment ions. The recoveries obtained for each pesticide ranged between 65 and 114% at three spiked concentration levels. The intra‐day precisions were lower than 19.6%. Good linear relationships were observed with the correlation coefficients r² >0.996 for all analytes. The established method was successfully applied to the determination of pesticide residues in real tea samples.     

Determination of ergot alkaloids from grains with UPLC‐MS/MS

A simple and rapid method for determining six ergot alkaloids and four of their respective epimers was developed for rye and wheat. The analytes were extracted from the sample matrix with ACN/ammonium carbonate solution. The extract was purified with a commercial push‐through SPE column (Mycosep^® 150 Ergot). After concentration and filtration steps, the final separation of the analytes was achieved with ultra‐performance LC‐MS/MS. The chromatographic separation of the ergot alkaloids was achieved in 4.5 min. The method performance proved satisfactory in the preliminary validation. The calculated LOQs were low ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 μg/kg for wheat and from 0.01 to 10.0 μg/kg for rye. At the concentration levels of 10, 50 and 200 μg/kg, the recoveries were between 80 and 120% in most cases and the within‐day repeatability (expressed as RSD) ranged between 1.3 and 13.9%. Despite the cleanup of the samples, some matrix effect was observed in the MS, highlighting the necessity of using matrix‐assisted standards. This is the first article to describe the application of the push‐through columns and ultra‐performance LC in the analysis of ergot alkaloids.     

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of three barbiturates in pork by ion trap gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) following microwave assisted derivatization

A new method was developed for the rapid screening and confirmation analysis of barbital, amobarbital and phenobarbital residues in pork by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) with ion trap MSD. The residual barbiturates in pork were extracted by ultrasonic extraction, cleaned up on a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) packed solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge and applied acetone-ethyl acetate (3:7, v/v) mixture as eluting solvent and derivatized with CH3I under microwave irradiation. The methylated barbiturates were separated on a TR-5MS capillary column and detected with an ion trap mass detector. Electron impact ion source (EI) operating MS/MS mode was adopted for identification and external standard method was employed for quantification. One precursor ion m/z 169 was selected for analysis of barbital and amobarbital and m/z 232 was selected for phenobarbital. The product ions were obtained under 1.0 V excitation voltage. Good linearities (linear coefficient R > 0.99) were obtained at the range of 0.5-50 microg kg(-1). Limit of detection (LOD) of barbital was 0.2 microg kg(-1) and that of amobarbital and phenobarbital were both 0.1 microg kg(-1) (S/N > or = 3). Limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.5 microg kg(-1) for three barbiturates (S/N > or = 10). Satisfying recoveries ranging from 75% to 96% of the three barbiturates spiked in pork were obtained, with relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) in the range of 2.1-7.8%.     

Comprehensive multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of 74 pesticides and metabolites in traditional Chinese herbal medicines by accelerated solvent extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

In this paper, a multiresidue method for the simultaneous target analysis of 74 pesticides and metabolites in traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCHMs) was developed using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) coupled with HPLC/MS/MS. Pesticide residues were extracted from the different samples using ASE, then purified by gel permeation chromatography and graphitized carbon black/primary, secondary amine SPE. Gradient elution was used in conjunction with positive mode electrospray ionization MS/MS to detect 74 pesticides and metabolites from Cortex Cinnamomi, Flos Carthami, Folium Ginkgo, Herba Pogostemonis, Radix Ginseng, and Semen Ginkgo using a single chromatographic run. The analytical performance was demonstrated by the analysis of extracts spiked at three concentration levels ranging from 0.005 to 0.125 mg/kg for each pesticide and metabolite. In general, recoveries ranging from 70 to 110%, with RSDs better than 15%, were obtained. The recovery and repeatability data were in good accordance with European Union guidelines for pesticide residue analysis. The LOD for most of the targeted pesticides and metabolites tested was below 0.01 mg/kg.     

Validation study on 660 pesticide residues in animal tissues by gel permeation chromatography cleanup/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A new method using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) cleanup followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) has been established for quantitative determination of 437 pesticide residues in animal tissues such as beef, mutton, pork, chicken, and rabbit. Based on an appraisal of the characteristics of both GC-MS and LC-MS-MS, validation experiments were conducted for 660 pesticides. In the method, 10 g animal samples were mixed with 20 g sodium sulfate and extracted with 35 mL of cyclohexane+ethyl acetate (1+1) twice by blender homogenization, centrifugation, and filtration. Evaporation was conducted and an equivalent of 5 g sample was injected into a 400 mm x 25 mm S-X3 GPC column, with cyclohexane+ethyl acetate (1+1) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 5 mL/min. The 22-40 min fraction was collected for subsequent analysis. For the 368 pesticides determined by GC-MS, the portions collected from GPC were concentrated to 0.5 mL and exchanged with 5 mL hexane twice. For the 69 pesticides by LC-MS-MS, the portions collected from GPC were dissolved with acetonitrile+water (60+40) after taking the extract to dryness with nitrogen gas. In the linear range of each pesticide, the correlation coefficient was r > or = 0.98, exceptions being dinobuton, linuron, and fenamiphos sulfoxide. At the low, medium and high three fortification levels of 0.2-4800 microg/kg, recoveries fell within 40-120%, among which 417 pesticides recoveries between 60% and 120%, accounting for 95%, 20 analytes between 40% and 60%, accounting for 5%. The relative standard deviation was below 28% for all 437 pesticides. The limits of detection for the method were 0.2-600 microg/kg, depending on each pesticide.