Determination of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits with solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid and simple extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of five neonicotinoid insecticides has been developed. Twelve different fruit and vegetable matrixes were extracted with methanol and cleaned up using a graphitized carbon solid phase extraction cartridge loading with a 20% methanol solution. The concentrated eluate after methanol elution was then analyzed for pesticide residues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the APCI positive mode. The five pesticides including nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid were recovered at 70-95% at spike levels of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg in bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, grape, grapefruit, Japanese radish, peach, pear, potato, rice, and tomato. Relative standard deviations were less than 10% for all of the recovery tests. The proposed method is fast, easy to perform, and could be utilized for regular monitoring of pesticide residues.     

Multiresidue pesticide analysis in wines by solid-phase extraction and capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometric detection with selective ion monitoring

A method was developed to determine pesticides in wines. The pesticides were extracted from the wine using solid-phase extraction on a polymeric cartridge, and the coextractives were removed with an aminopropyl-MgSO(4) cartridge. Analysis was performed using capillary gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in selective ion monitoring mode (GC-MSD/SIM). Three injections are required to analyze all 153 organohalogen, organonitrogen, organophosphate, and organosulfur pesticides and residues. Pesticides were confirmed by retention times of the target ions and three qualifier-to-target ion ratios. Detection limits for most of the pesticides were less than 0.005 mg/L, and quantitation was determined from approximately 0.01 to 5 mg/L. Spike recoveries were performed by fortifying red and white wines at 0.01 and 0.10 mg/L. At the 0.01 ppm level, the spike recoveries were greater than 70% for 116 and 124 pesticides (out of 153) in red and white wines, respectively, whereas at the higher spike concentration of 0.10 mg/L, the recoveries were greater than 70% for 123 and 128 pesticides in red and white wines, respectively. The recoveries of less than 70% were most likely from pesticide polarity or lability, resulting in the inefficient adsorption of the pesticide to the polymeric sorbent, ineffective elution of the pesticide from the sorbent, or thermal degradation of the pesticide under GC-MSD conditions.     

Qualitative aspects in the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables using fast, low-pressure gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Quantitative method validation is a well-established process to demonstrate trueness and precision of the results with a given method. However, an assessment of qualitative results is also an important need to estimate selectivity and devise criteria for chemical identification when using the method, particularly for mass spectrometric analysis. For multianalyte analysis, automatic instrument software is commonly used to make initial qualitative identifications of the target analytes by comparison of their mass spectra against a database library. Especially at low residue levels in complex matrices, manual checking of results is typically needed to correct the peak assignments and integration errors, which is very time-consuming. Low-pressure gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS) has been demonstrated to increase the speed of analysis for GC-amenable residues in various foods and provide more advantages over the traditional GC-MS approach. LP-GC-MS on a time-of-flight (ToF) instrument was used, which provided high sample throughput with <10 min analysis time. The method had already been validated to be acceptable quantitatively for nearly 150 pesticides, and in this study of qualitative performance, 90 samples in total of strawberry, tomato, potato, orange, and lettuce extracts from the QuEChERS sample preparation approach were analyzed. The extracts were randomly spiked with different pesticides at different levels, both unknown to the analyst, in the different matrices. Automated software evaluation was compared with human assessments in terms of false-positive and -negative results. Among the 13590 possible permutations with 696 blind additions made, the automated software approach yielded 1.2% false presumptive positives with 23% false negatives, whereas the analyst achieved 0.8% false presumptive positives and 17% false negatives for the same analytical data files. False negatives frequently occurred due to challenges at the lowest concentrations, but 70% of them involved certain pesticides that degraded (e.g., captafol, folpet) or otherwise could not be detected. The false-negative rate was reduced to 5-10% if the problematic analytes were excluded. Despite its somewhat better performance in this study, the analyst approach was extremely time-consuming and would not be practical in high sample throughput applications for so many analytes in complicated matrices.     

Effect of commercial processing on pesticide residues in selected fruits and vegetables

Commercial food processing operations such as washing, blanching, and cooking remove major portions of the pesticide residues that are currently permitted on the raw agricultural crop. These unit operations are reviewed for selected products, along with degree of residue removal at each step. For example, washing plus peeling removes 99% of carbaryl and malathion residues from tomatoes. Washing removes 83% of benomyl residue from tomatoes and further processing reduces the residue by 98% in tomato puree and catsup. Even in the most concentrated fraction from tomatoes (tomato paste), residues were below the initial level in the raw product.     

农药残留快速检测方法研究进展

在果蔬生产中,随着农药的大量和不合理使用,发展相应的农药残留检测技术已越来越受到社会的高度关注和重视,成为全球的焦点。该文概述了近年来果蔬农药残留快速检测方法的研究进展,主要包括酶抑制法、酶联免疫法、生物传感器法、近中红外光谱法、荧光光谱法、拉曼光谱法和核磁共振技术,详细介绍了上述方法的检测原理、研究现状及实际应用情况,分析了各方法的优缺点及研发难点,并对果蔬农药残留快速检测方法的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in soil by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of 25 fungicides and insecticides in soil was developed. Soil samples are extracted by sonication with a water-acetonitrile mixture, and the pesticides are partitioned into dichloromethane. Final determination was made by gas chromatography (GC) with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD). Confirmation analysis of pesticides was carried out by GC-MS in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The identification of compounds was based on retention time and on comparison of the primary and secondary ions. The average recovery by the GC-NPD method obtained for these compounds varied from 68.5% to 112.1% with a relative standard deviation between 1.8% and 6.2%. The GC-NPD method presents good linearity over the range assayed 50-2000 microg/L, and the detection limit for the pesticides studied varied from 0.1 to 10.4 microg/kg. The proposed method was used to determine pesticide levels in soil samples from experimental greenhouse pepper cultivation.     

Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in soil by supercritical fluid extraction/gas chromatography with electron-capture detection and confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The applicability of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in pesticide multiresidue analysis (organohalogen, organonitrogen, organophosphorus, and pyrethroid) in soil samples was investigated. Fortification experiments were conducted to test the conventional extraction (solid-liquid) and to optimize the extraction procedure in SFE by varying the CO2 modifier, temperature, extraction time, and pressure. The best efficiency was achieved at 400 bar using methanol as modifier at 60 degrees C. For the SFE method, C-18 cartridges were used for the cleanup. The analytical screening was performed by gas chromatography equipped with electron-capture detection (ECD). Recoveries for the majority of pesticides from spiked samples of soil at different residence times were 1, 20, and 40 days at the fortification level of 0.04-0.10 mg/kg ranging from 70 to 97% for both methods. The detection limits found were <0.01 mg/kg for ECD, and the confirmation of pesticide identity was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in a selected-ion monitoring mode. Multiresidue methods were applied in real soil samples, and the results of the methods developed were compared.     

Amino acid analysis by capillary gas chromatography

Two developments have enabled major advancements in the use of capillary gas chromatography (GC), the result being its much more widespread use in investigations on a broad range of chemical and biological problems. The 2 technological developments were the introduction of fused silica capillary columns and the development of immobilized stationary phases for capillary GC columns. Because fused silica columns with immobilized stationary phases of varying polarities are offered by numerous vendors of chromatographic equipment, they have become widely used for many analytical tasks. We conducted a study to compare the effectiveness of commercially available fused silica capillary columns with the classical ion-exchange method in the separation and quantitation of amino acids. We selected the N-trifluoroacetyl (TFA) n-butyl and the N-heptafluorobutyryl (HFB) isobutyl ester derivatives for this study because of the extensive research and application of these derivatives during the past 20 years. The amino acid content of hydrolysates of 5 materials was measured: ribonuclease, beta-lactoglobulin, lysozyme, soybean meal, and a commercial poultry feed. Single 6N HCl hydrolysates of each material were prepared to minimize sample preparation differences, and 3 independent analyses of each hydrolysate were made by each of 3 techniques: the N-TFA n-butyl and N-HFB isobutyl ester methods using capillary gas chromatography and the ion-exchange chromatographic method using a Beckman 121 M amino acid analyzer. Our results clearly demonstrate that capillary GC analysis of amino acids using fused silica bonded-phase columns provides data with good precision and in general excellent agreement with ion-exchange analyses.     

GC/MIP/AED method for pesticide residue determination in fruits and vegetables.

This research describes the results of a gas chromatography/microwave induced plasma/atomic emission detection (GC/MIP/AED) method performed on a Hewlett-Packard 5921A system for pesticide residue analysis in fruits and vegetables. A total of 6 experiments were conducted: (1) sensitivity and linearity studies for elements S, P, Cl, and N by analyzing dursban; (2) a study of instrument response to Cl concentration in pesticide molecules; (3) organochlorinated pesticide recoveries; (4) organophosphate pesticide recoveries; (5) carbamate pesticide recoveries; and (6) investigation of metallic pesticides with plictran and vendex as standards. The rank according to sensitivity and linearity was found to be as follows: S-181 greater than P-178 greater than Cl-479 greater than N-174. Instrument response to the concentration of chlorine atoms in the pesticide molecule was linear, with a correlation coefficient of 0.89. Recoveries of organochlorinated pesticides were 91.7-109.3%, with the exception of citrus, whose recovery was affected by coeluting interferences. Organophosphate recoveries were 73.2% or higher, except for the cygon oxygen analog, which degraded in the GC system under all circumstances. Carbamate recoveries were inconsistent quantitatively; however, the information generated from elements N and S were useful for qualitative confirmation of other methods, such as LC postcolumn derivatization analysis. Overall, the GC/MIP/AED method is powerful for qualitative confirmation in pesticide residue analysis. The instrument's capability of acquiring multi-elements (Cl and P) selectively and accurately is an alternative method for organochlorinated and organophosphate pesticide residue analyses. In addition, the GC/MIP/AED system is easy to use, simple to maintain, and its chromatograms can be interpreted by any chromatography analyst without much prior training.     

QuEChERS分散萃取—气相色谱法测定有机肥料中23种有机磷药物残留

采用QuEChERS分散萃取结合气相色谱技术,建立了有机肥料中23种有机磷类药物残留的分析检测方法。样品采用含有0.1%冰醋酸的乙腈提取,目标物QuEChERS分散萃取粉净化,除去杂质后,经气相色谱检测,标准曲线外标法定量。结果表明:23种目标物在0.05～0.5 μg/mL范围内线性关系良好,相关系数为0.9990～0.9998。在有机肥料样品基质中,目标化合物在0.01、0.02、0.10 mg/kg 3个加标水平的平均回收率在80.9%～114.6%之间,相对标准偏差为1.4%～9.5%(n=6),基质效应因子为0.82～1.36。该方法净化效果好、操作简单、适用范围广,可用于有机肥料中多种有机磷类药物残留的定量测定。     

Multiresidue determination of pesticides in malt beverages by capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring

A method was developed to determine pesticides in malt beverages using solid phase extraction on a polymeric cartridge and sample cleanup with a MgSO4-topped aminopropyl cartridge, followed by capillary gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode [GC-MS(SIM)]. Three GC injections were required to analyze and identify organophosphate, organohalogen, and organonitrogen pesticides. The pesticides were identified by the retention times of peaks of the target ion and qualifier-to-target ion ratios. GC detection limits for most of the pesticides were 5-10 ng/mL, and linearity was determined from 50 to 5000 ng/mL. Fortification studies were performed at 10 ng/mL for three malt beverages that differ in properties such as alcohol content, solids, and appearance. The recoveries from the three malt beverages were greater than 70% for 85 of the 142 pesticides (including isomers) studied. The data showed that the different malt beverage matrixes had no significant effect on the recoveries. This method was then applied to the screening and analysis of malt beverages for pesticides, resulting in the detection of the insectide carbaryl and the fungicide dimethomorph in real samples. The study indicates that pesticide levels in malt beverages are significantly lower than the tolerance levels set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for malt beverage starting ingredients. The use of the extraction/cleanup procedure and analysis by GC-MS(SIM) proved effective in screening malt beverages for a wide variety of pesticides.     

Determination of carbamate pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI)-mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of 22 carbamates including their metabolites in vegetables and fruits. For the optimization of APPI, several APPI ion source parameters were examined. As a result, many carbamates with APPI using the optimized parameter gave simple mass spectra, and a strong signal corresponding to [M + H](+) was observed except for aldicarb. However, some carbamate metabolites gave ammonium adduct ions [M + NH(4)](+) as base peak ions. The mean recovery of each carbamate from grape and onion samples spiked at 5 ng/g was 81.7-105.7%, with relative standard deviations of 3.3-5.9%. Furthermore, matrix constituents did not significantly influence the ionization efficiency. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) in grape and onion was in the range of 0.33-3.33 ng/g. For the robustness of this method, this system has been used to analyze 50 samples, and the intensities for all carbamates were found to be unaffected by the contamination of the APPI source by sample matrix constituents. This result indicates that the method is reliable.     

Determination of acetamiprid,imidacloprid, and nitenpyram residues in vegetables and fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection

Determination of 3 neonicotinoid insecticides, nitenpyram, imidacloprid, and acetamiprid, was studied. Vegetables and fruits were extracted with acetonitrile. The crude extract was passed through a weak anion-exchange cartridge (PSA). The effluent was subjected to silica gel cartridge. Imidacloprid and acetamiprid were eluted with 10 mL of 4:6 (v/v) acetone/hexane, followed by nitenpyram with acetone (20 mL). Pesticides were determined by HPLC with a C-18 column and diode-array detection system. Imidacloprid and acetamiprid were recovered at about 90% at the spike levels with 0.2 and 2 mg/kg in cucumber, potato, tomato, eggplant, Japanese radish, and grape. Nitenpyram was recovered at 64-80%. Relative standard deviations were less than 10% throughout all the recovery tests. In the residue analysis, agriculturally incurred pesticides at 0.08-0.14 mg/kg were designated with UV spectra compared with respective reference standards.     

Evaluation of capillary gas chromatography for multicomponent drug analysis

Capillary gas chromatography is evaluated for multicomponent drug analysis. A 0.32 mm id X 30 m fused silica column and a 0.75 mm id X 30 m borosilicate glass column (both with OV-1 bonded phase) are investigated. Retention times (relative to caffeine) are presented for 39 drug components representing a variety of chemical classes and pharmacological activities. Reproducibility data are presented for both isothermal and programmed temperature runs on selected drug mixtures. Recovery data are provided for 2 multicomponent drug mixtures prepared to approximate over-the-counter antihistaminic and antitussive preparations.     

基于Web的蔬菜农药残留检测网络监控系统构建(简报)

为保证蔬菜质量安全和消费者健康,该文提出利用.NET技术平台和SQL技术开发成功基于Web的蔬菜农残检测网络监控系统,利用数据库管理系统,通过数据统计和Web报表实现信息的采集和整理;该文给出了系统的结构设计方案、采用的关键技术和主要功能实现方法。该系统在江苏江阴地区实际测试效果良好,可应用于农产品品质检测和安全管理。     

基于Web的蔬菜农药残留检测网络监控系统构建

为保证蔬菜质量安全和消费者健康,该文提出利用NET技术平台和SQL技术开发成功基于Web的蔬菜农残检测网络监控系统,利用数据库管理系统,通过数据统计和Web报表实现信息的采集和整理;该文给出了系统的结构设计方案、采用的关键技术和主要功能实现方法.该系统在江苏江阴地区实际测试效果良好,可应用于农产品品质检测和安全管理.     

The Luke et al. method for determining multipesticide residues in fruits and vegetables: collaborative study

Ten laboratories analyzed unfortified and fortified samples of lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides by applicable portions of the comprehensive multipesticide method of Luke et al. The 3 crops were fortified with 6 pesticides, alpha-BHC, dieldrin, chlorpyrifos, acephate, omethoate, and monocrotophos, each at 3 levels per crop. Included in the 54 fortifications were 16 pairs of blind duplicates: same pesticide, crop, and level. Recoveries were calculated by area comparisons with known reference materials, using the responses obtained from 2 separate element-specific gas chromatographic (GC) systems. The organochlorine pesticides were chromatographed on a methyl silicone column and detected with a Hall 700A electrolytic conductivity detector, and the organophosphorus pesticides were determined with a flame photometric detector after being chromatographed on a specified DEGS column material. Chlorpyrifos was quantitated on both GC systems. Mean recoveries ranged from 82.6% for acephate fortified at 0.5000 ppm in strawberries to 118.1% for 0.0636 ppm fortification of chlorpyrifos in lettuce. Interlaboratory coefficients of variation ranged from 4.0% for 0.6360 ppm fortification of chlorpyrifos in tomatoes to 17.8% for the 0.0636 ppm chlorpyrifos level in lettuce. The procedure features essentially no cleanup before GC and proved comparable to existing multiresidue methods for pesticides of the class types studied, as evidenced by the intra- and interlaboratory measurements of precision and recoveries obtained. The method with the 2 GC systems has been adopted official first action.     

Multiresidue method for determining substituted urea herbicides in foods by liquid chromatography

A method is described for determining substituted urea herbicides in foods. The residues are extracted from the product with methanol, and the food coextractives are removed by using solvent partitioning and Florisil column chromatography. The extract is analyzed using liquid chromatography with postcolumn photodegradation, chemical derivatization with orthophthalaldehyde, and spectrofluorometry. Recoveries were determined by spiking 8 different food products with 6 phenylureas--chlorbromuron, chloroxuron, diuron, fluometuron, linuron, and metobromuron--at 0.05 and 0.5 ppm. Three determinations were made at each level for each product. Average recovery at 0.05 ppm was 95% (with a standard deviation of 7.9%), and at 0.5 ppm, 98% (with a standard deviation of 6.9%).