Independent evaluation of a commercial deconvolution reporting software for gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables

The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) deconvolution reporting software (DRS) from Agilent Technologies has been evaluated for its ability as a screening tool to detect a large number of pesticides in incurred and fortified samples extracted with acetone/dichloromethane/light petroleum (Mini-Luke method). The detection of pesticides is based on fixed retention times using retention time locking (RTL) and full scan mass spectral comparison with a partly customer built automated mass spectral deconvolution and identification system (AMDIS) database. The GC–MS was equipped with a programmable temperature vaporising (PTV) injector system which enables more sample to be injected. In a blind study of 52 real samples a total number of 158 incurred pesticides were found. In addition to the 85 pesticides found by manual interpretation of GC–NPD/ECD chromatograms, the DRS revealed 73 more pesticides (+46%). The DRS system also shows its potential to discover pesticides which are normally not searched for (EPN in long beans from Thailand). A spiking experiment was performed to blank matrices of apple, orange and lettuce with 177 different pesticides at concentration levels 0.02 and 0.1 mg/kg. The samples were analysed on GC–MS full scan and the AMDIS match factor was used as a mass spectral quality criterion. The threshold level of the AMDIS match factor was set at 20 to eliminate most of the false positives. AMDIS match factors from 20 up to 69 are regarded only as indication of a positive hit and must be followed by manual interpretation. Pesticides giving AMDIS match factors at ≥70 are regarded as identified. To simplify and decrease the large amount of data generated at each concentration level, the AMDIS match factors ≥20 was averaged (mean AMF) for each pesticide including the commodities and their replicates. Among 177 different pesticides spiked at 0.02 and 0.1 mg/kg level, the percentage of mean AMF values ≥70 were 23% and 80%, respectively. For 531 individual detections of pesticides (177 pesticides × 3 replicates) giving AMDIS match factor 20 in apple, orange and lettuce, the detection rates at 0.02 mg/kg were 71%, 63% and 72%, respectively. For the 0.1 mg/kg level the detection rates were 89%, 85% and 89%, respectively. In real samples some manual interpretation must be performed in addition. However, screening by GC–MS/DRS is about 5–10 times faster compared to screening with GC–NPD/ECD because the time used for manual interpretation is much shorter and there is no need for re-injection on GC–MS for the identification of suspect peaks found on GC–NPD/ECD.