Simultaneous determination of four neonicotinoid insecticides residues in cereals, vegetables and fruits using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Analytical Methods Pub Date: 2013-01-14 DOI: 10.1039/C3AY26147F

Abstract

A rapid multi-residue analytical method was developed for the determination of four nicotinoid insecticides (thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and dinotefuran) in cereals, vegetables and fruits using QuEChERS method and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The samples were extracted by acetonitrile and subsequently cleaned up using primary secondary amine (PSA) and graphitized carbon black (GCB) prior to UPLC-MS/MS analysis. The determination of the target compounds was achieved in less than 2.5 min using an electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode (ESI+). The method showed good linearity in the concentration range of 0.01–1 mg L?1 with correlation coefficients >0.999. Recovery studies were performed at three fortification levels of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.5 mg kg?1 in blank rice, wheat, cucumber, tomato, cabbage, apple, and peach samples. The overall average recoveries ranged from 82.7% to 103.4% with intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDr) which ranged between 1.3% and 7.9% and inter-day RSD (RSDR) from 3.9% to 11.6%, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) were below 0.68 μg kg?1, while the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.71–2.26 μg kg?1. The developed analytical method provides a basis for monitoring neonicotinoid insecticide residues in cereals, vegetables and fruits.

Graphical abstract: Simultaneous determination of four neonicotinoid insecticides residues in cereals, vegetables and fruits using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Recommended Literature