Determination of neonicotinoid insecticides residues in eels using subcritical water extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

A rapid, sensitive, and environmental-friendly multi-residue method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of seven neonicotinoid insecticides (dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, clothianidin, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid) residues in eel samples. Subcritical water extraction was investigated as a novel and alternative technology for the extraction of neonicotinoids from eel matrices and the results were compared with the conventional ultrasonic and shaking extraction. The target compounds were identified and quantitatively determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Under the current optimized chromatographic conditions, each LC run was completed in 5min. Average recoveries of the seven analytes from fortified samples ranged between 84.6% and 102.0%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 10.8%. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) for neonicotinoids were in the ranges of 0.12–0.36μgkg−1 and 0.42–1.12μgkg−1, respectively. The proposed method is fast, sensitive, easy to perform, water-based thus more environmentally acceptable, making it applicable for high-throughput monitoring of insecticides residues in aquatic products.