Pesticide Analysis in Food Samples by GC-MS, LC-MS, and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A variety of pesticides have been used to control weeds, pests, and diseases to enhance crop yield. Pesticides applied in crops are often region-specific due to the differences in weather, production system, and agricultural policies. Pesticide residue in food crops not only affects the quality, but also threatens the health of consumers. Food contamination has become a universal concern, prompting various levels of regulation and monitoring. Generally, pesticide quantification is performed by gas chromatography (GC) combined with selective detectors, which helps to quantify one or more classes of pesticides at a time. Screening for a wide array of pesticides requires multiple runs utilizing different GC configurations. GC–mass spectrometry (MS) has been developed as a certified technique for identifying and quantifying various pesticides in a single run. Analysis of contaminants and harmful chemical residues in food got more importance as it results from the critical observation of consumers toward the advanced technologies of agricultural production and environmental pollution. A proper diet is commonly regarded as one of the key factors determining an individual’s health. Despite the nutritional benefit of fruits and vegetables, they may also contain substances that adversely affect human health. A considerable number of pesticides have a harmful effect already in low concentrations. In the analysis of pesticide residue, similarly to the analysis of other food contaminants, it is of great importance to develop multi-residue methods that enable monitoring complex multi-residue pesticides in a variety of samples. Recent studies on the estimation of pesticide residues in plant raw materials and ready food products indicate the universal incorporation of the liquid chromatography (LC)–MS technique in the analysis. Research data confirm that the highly sensitive LC–tandem mass spectrometry technique is characterized by selectivity and specificity and allows a high-throughput analytical process for confirming the quality of the result.