Development and validation of QuEChERS method for neonicotinoids in cotton

Abstract

Simple and efficient analytical method was standardized and validated for the estimation of residues of three neonicotinoids viz. imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam on cotton leaves, flowers, nectariferous tissue and pollen. The samples were spiked with the standards at 0.01, 0.25 and 0.50 mg/kg levels. Acetonitrile was used for the extraction of the pesticides from the respective commodity and QuEChERS method involving the use of dispersive-solid phase extraction (DSPE) was employed for the sample cleanup. The clear extract in acetonitrile obtained was further used for the quantification of all the three pesticides with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipped with PDA detector and C18 column. HPLC grade acetonitrile, water (70:30, v/v) was used as a mobile phase at 0.30 ml/min. Distinct peaks at retention time of 16.07, 22.24 and 13.06 min were obtained for imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam, respectively. The consistent recoveries above 80 percent were obtained for all the substrates at different spiking levels. Selectivity, linearity, lower limit of quantitation, precision and accuracy were also evaluated during the validation of the methodology.

Effects of neonicotinoid residues in Apis cerana indica bees and bee products: LC-MS/MS analysis and dietary risk assessment in a sunflower field study

“…In India, earlier studies documented neonicotinoid residues in various bee-related substances in India, including honey, pollen, beebread, beeswax, and deceased bees (Karedla et al 2020;Kaur et al 2019). The assessment of pesticide residue quantity and composition is essential for evaluating colony health and associated risks (Wang et al 2020).…”