Rapid screening for pesticides using automated online sample preparation with a high-resolution benchtop Orbitrap mass spectrometer

Abstract

For pesticide analysis in food products a common approach is to develop a fast multi-residue method that is capable of identifying and quantifying a large number of analytes in various matrices. This study demonstrates rapid screening and accurate mass confirmation of 116 pesticides in oranges and hazelnuts using an automated online sample preparation method with turbulent-flow chromatography technology coupled to a high-resolution benchtop Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for the majority of analytes are well below the maximum residue limit (MRL) set by the European Union and the Japanese government. The recoveries were in the range of 70-120% for over 75% of analytes in both matrices. The present methodology is suitable for routine pesticides analysis in food safety laboratories.

Multiresidue Pesticide Analysis of Botanical Dietary Supplements Using Salt-out Acetonitrile Extraction, Solid-Phase Extraction Cleanup Column, and Gas Chromatography–Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

“…Future improvements to comprehensive screening methods may require measuring techniques that go beyond the most commonly used technologies for the mass spectrometric determination of pesticides that use lowresolution quadrupole with electron ionization or electrospray ionization. 32 …”

Future perspectives in Orbitrap™-high-resolution mass spectrometry in food analysis: a review

“…Despite indicating that after this clean-up there were no significant matrix effects, Shi et al, (2011) nevertheless still employed matrix-matched calibration. Others (Gomez-Perez et al, 2012; have analysed honey, meat and baby food for up to 300 pesticide residues employing only simple extraction procedures.…”

“…QuEChERS extraction and clean-up has invariably been the method of choice for pesticide residue analysis of fruit and vegetables, but despite the effectiveness of the procedure to remove co-extractives, matrix-matched calibration has still been found necessary. Automated sample clean-up using the TurboFlow™ system has also proved to be an effective approach (Shi et al, 2011). With turbulent-flow chromatography (TurboFlow™) sample extracts are directly injected onto a narrow diameter column.…”

Advanced Mass Spectrometry

“…Now spectrometers equipped with Orbitrap analyzers are available in diverse configurations-as a single-stage mass spectrometer and as a hybrid instrument [with a quadrupole mass filter or a linear ion trap (LTQ)]. The stand-alone instrument, which provides high mass resolution (>15,000 FMWH) and high mass accuracy (<2 ppm) but without mass selection, is already successfully used in routine for determining pesticide residues [158][159][160][161][162]. Single-stage Orbitrap-MS was demonstrated to be a very useful tool with a high potential for efficient multiresidue analysis in the field of food safety.…”

“…Rapid qualitative analysis of phthalates added to food and nutraceutical products [200] LC-Orbitrap Pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables [201] LC-Orbitrap Quantification of selected mycotoxins and the simultaneous screening of fungal metabolites in food [202] LC-Orbitrap Detection of a new Fusarium-masked mycotoxin in wheat grain [203] LC-Orbitrap Quantification of residual milk allergens in caseinate-fined white wines [204] LC-Orbitrap Rapid screening for pesticides using automated online sample preparation [158] UHPLCOrbitrap (HCD cell)…”