title: Validation of a qualitative screening method for pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.
abstract: A wide-scope screening method was developed for the detection of pesticides in fruit and vegetables. The method was based on gas chromatography coupled to a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source (GC-(APCI)QTOF MS). A non-target acquisition was performed through two alternating scan events: one at low collision energy and another at a higher collision energy ramp (MS(E)). In this way, both protonated molecule and/or molecular ion together with fragment ions were obtained in a single run. Validation was performed according to SANCO/12571/2013 by analysing 20 samples (10 different commodities in duplicate), fortified with a test set of 132 pesticides at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.20mg kg(-1). For screening, the detection was based on one diagnostic ion (in most cases the protonated molecule). Overall, at the 0.01mg kg(-1) level, 89% of the 2620 fortifications made were detected. The screening detection limit for individual pesticides was 0.01mg kg(-1) for 77% of the pesticides investigated. The possibilities for identification according to the SANCO criteria, requiring two ions with a mass accuracy ≤±5ppm and an ion-ratio deviation ≤±30%, were investigated. At the 0.01mg kg(-1) level, identification was possible for 70% of the pesticides detected during screening. This increased to 87% and 93% at the 0.05 and 0.20mg kg(-1) level, respectively. Insufficient sensitivity for the second ion was the main reason for the inability to identify detected pesticides, followed by deviations in mass accuracy and ion ratios.
authors: Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain; RIKILT Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Akkermaalsbos 2, 6708 WB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Portolés
authors: RIKILT Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Akkermaalsbos 2, 6708 WB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: J G J
authors: JG
authors: Mol
authors: Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain.
authors: J V
authors: JV
authors: Sancho
authors: Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain.
authors: Francisco J
authors: FJ
authors: López
authors: Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain. Electronic address: hernandf@uji.es.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Hernández
mesh_terms: D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; Gas chromatography; Hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer; Identification; Pesticides; Screening