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Determination of 255 pesticides in edible vegetable oils using QuEChERS method and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

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Abstract

In this study, a simple and high-throughput method for determination of 255 pesticides in vegetable oils was developed based on QuEChERS sample preparation method combined with gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Different clean-up approaches were tested: A, 150 mg PSA + 150 mg C18; B, 250 mg PSA + 250 mg C18; C, 250 mg PSA + 250 mg C18 + 15 mg GCB; D, 250 mg PSA + 250 mg C18 + 50 mg GCB; and E, EMR-LipidTM. Best clean-up capacity was observed for EMR clean-up. The extraction procedures and parameters, including extraction time, solvent/sample ratio, and buffer system, were also thoroughly investigated and optimized. The limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged between 5 and 50 μg kg−1, and for the majority of the pesticides the LOQs were 5 μg kg−1, which were below the regulatory MRLs. Most recoveries at seven spiking levels were in the range of 70–120 % with RSDs <20 % indicating satisfactory accuracy. The coefficient of determination (r 2) was >0.99 within the calibration linearity range of 2–500 μg L−1 for the majority of the pesticides. This method was proved to be simple, sensitive, and effective, which can be applied for large-scale pesticide screening and quantification in vegetable oils.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41401577).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Tianjin, 300191, China

    Zeying He, Yuehua Wang, Lu Wang, Yi Peng & Xiaowei Liu

  2. Agilent Technologies (China) Company, Ltd., No. 3 Wang Jing Bei Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100102, China

    Wenwen Wang

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  1. Zeying He
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  2. Yuehua Wang
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  3. Lu Wang
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  4. Yi Peng
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  5. Wenwen Wang
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Correspondence to Xiaowei Liu.

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He, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, L. et al. Determination of 255 pesticides in edible vegetable oils using QuEChERS method and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 409, 1017–1030 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-0016-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-0016-9

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