Multi-Residue Analysis of Pesticides in Agricultural Products by Liquid Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

• Published in: Food Hygiene and Safety Science (Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi) Vol. 53; no. 6; pp. 255 - 263
• Main Authors: SAITO, Shizuka, NEMOTO, Satoru, MATSUDA, Rieko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese; English
• Published: Japan Japanese Society for Food Hygiene and Safety 25.12.2012
• Subjects: agricultural product; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Crops, Agricultural - chemistry; Food Analysis - methods; liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS); Mass Spectrometry - methods; multi-residue analysis; pesticide residue; Pesticide Residues - analysis; Spinacia oleracea
• ISSN: 0015-6426; 1882-1006
• DOI: 10.3358/shokueishi.53.255

The applicability of liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) for determining pesticide residues in agricultural products was investigated. TOF-MS conditions for monitoring target ions, together with their fragment ions, were carefully optimized. The developed LC-TOF-MS method was evaluated for 154 pesticides in soybean and spinach by using matrix-matched standards. No significant matrix effect was observed for most of the tested pesticides at a concentration level of 0.01 mg/kg, where the limits of quantification were less than 0.01 mg/kg for 145 of the 154 pesticides (S/N>10). In addition, no significant interference was observed in the chromatograms of the blank extracts. These results indicate that LC-TOF-MS determination may become a powerful tool for multi-residue analysis of pesticides in agricultural products.