Analysis of Alternative New Pesticide (Fluopyram, Flupyradifurone, and Indaziflam) Residues in Pistachio, Date, and Soil by Liquid Chromatography Triple Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

ABSTRACT Fluopyram, flupyradifurone, and indaziflam are novel systemic pesticides developed by Bayer. Based on available data, these pesticides appears to have a favorable safety profile in the case of pesticide residue problems. Herein, we report an effective analytical method for the determination of novel pesticides were developed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry coupled with a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure. These target compounds were extracted with acetonitrile and cleaned up with PSA, and were separated successfully between 10.2 and 18.3 min using a C18 chromatographic column connected to an electrospray ionization source. All the matrix-matched samples at three fortified levels (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mg kg−1) provided satisfactory recoveries in the range of 80.6–93.5% with relative standard deviations below 10.8%. The limits of quantitation were 0.0055 mg kg−1 with a limit of detection of 0.0015 mg kg−1 for fluopyram in pistachio matrix, 0.0062 mg kg−1 with a limit of detection of 0.0019 mg kg−1 for flupyradifurone in date fruits and 0.0083 mg kg−1 with a limit of detection of 0.0025 mg kg−1 for indaziflam in soil complex matrix. The limit of quantification of studied pesticides was far below the maximum residue limit in the national MRLs so the proposed method is of great significance for establishing maximum residue limits in Iran. Date fruit real samples had not any flupyradifurone residue, and some pistachio and soil samples had trace fluopyram and indaziflam residues but there were below LOQs.