Selection of SPE cartridge for automated solid-phase extraction of pesticides from water followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In environmental analyses there is an ever-increasing need to develop simple and sensitive multi-residue methods. In many agricultural regions, there is particular concern of the potential for pesticides to enter rivers and other waterways. This study reports on the development and validation of a multi-residue method of analysis for 30 pesticides in water samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by LC-MS/MS. The electrospray and MS/MS parameters were optimised for each pesticide, including capillary voltage, collision-induced dissociation voltage, and selection of a precursor ion and two product ions. A variety of SPE sorbents were tested for sample pre-concentration, including numerous polymeric based phases. Bond Elut PPL and Oasis HLB were the only phases capable of retaining the majority of the target analyte classes in a single method. An off-line pre-concentration method using a Gilson Aspec system was optimised using the Bond Elut PPL cartridges, with a concentration factor of 25 producing limits of quantitation in the order of 6–100 ng/L. Excellent linearity (r ² > 0.9), precision (<20%) and recovery (>60%) was obtained for nearly all of the analytes, covering a wide variety of chemical and physical properties. This is the first study to fully validate Bond Elut PPL cartridges for use in multi-residue pesticide analysis.