Low-pressure Gas Chromatography-tandem Mass Research Articles

Automated Mini-Column Solid-Phase Extraction Cleanup for High-Throughput Analysis of Chemical Contaminants in Foods by Low-Pressure Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

This study demonstrated the application of an automated high-throughput mini-cartridge solid-phase extraction (mini-SPE) cleanup for the rapid low-pressure gas chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC-MS/MS) analysis of pesticides and environmental contaminants in QuEChERS extracts of foods. Cleanup efficiencies and breakthrough volumes using different mini-SPE sorbents were compared using avocado, salmon, pork loin, and kale as representative matrices. Optimum extract load volume was 300 µL for the 45 mg mini-cartridges containing 20/12/12/1 (w/w/w/w) anh. MgSO4/PSA (primary secondary amine)/C18/CarbonX sorbents used in the final method. In method validation to demonstrate high-throughput capabilities and performance results, 230 spiked extracts of 10 different foods (apple, kiwi, carrot, kale, orange, black olive, wheat grain, dried basil, pork, and salmon) underwent automated mini-SPE cleanup and analysis over the course of 5 days. In all, 325 analyses for 54 pesticides and 43 environmental contaminants (3 analyzed together) were conducted using the 10 min LPGC-MS/MS method without changing the liner or retuning the instrument. Merely, 1 mg equivalent sample injected achieved <5 ng g−1 limits of quantification. With the use of internal standards, method validation results showed that 91 of the 94 analytes including pairs achieved satisfactory results (70–120 % recovery and RSD ≤ 25 %) in the 10 tested food matrices (n = 160). Matrix effects were typically less than ±20 %, mainly due to the use of analyte protectants, and minimal human review of software data processing was needed due to summation function integration of analyte peaks. This study demonstrated that the automated mini-SPE + LPGC-MS/MS method yielded accurate results in rugged, high-throughput operations with minimal labor and data review.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10337-016-3116-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Use of ammonium formate in QuEChERS for high-throughput analysis of pesticides in food by fast, low-pressure gas chromatography and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The “quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe” (QuEChERS) approach to sample preparation is widely applied in pesticide residue analysis, but the use of magnesium sulfate and other nonvolatile compounds for salting out in the method is not ideal for mass spectrometry. In this study, we developed and evaluated three new different versions of the QuEChERS method using more volatile salts (ammonium chloride and ammonium formate and acetate buffers) to induce phase separation and extraction of 43 representative pesticide analytes of different classes. Fast low-pressure gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography (LC)-MS/MS were used for analysis. The QuEChERS AOAC Official Method 2007.01 was also tested for comparison purposes. Of the studied methods, formate buffering using 7.5g of ammonium formate and 15mL of 5% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile for the extraction of 15g of sample (5g for wheat grain) provided the best performance and practical considerations. Method validation was carried out with and without the use of dispersive solid-phase extraction for cleanup, and no significant differences were observed for the majority of pesticides. The method was demonstrated in quantitative analysis for GC- and LC-amenable pesticides in 4 representative food matrices (apple, lemon, lettuce, and wheat grain). With the typical exceptions of certain pH-dependent and labile pesticides, 90–110% recoveries and <10% RSD were obtained. Detection limits were mostly <5ng/g, which met the general need to determine pesticide concentrations as low as 10ng/g for monitoring purposes in food applications.

Evaluation of Low-Pressure Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Analysis of &gt;140 Pesticides in Fish

A multiresidue method for the analysis of 143 pesticide residues in fish was developed and evaluated using fast, low-pressure gas chromatography/triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS-MS). The method was based on a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) extraction with acetonitrile and dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) cleanup with zirconium-based sorbent. The developed method was evaluated at four spiking levels (1, 5, 50, and 100 ng/g) and further validated by analysis of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) 1974b and 1947 for selected pesticides with certified concentrations. Acceptable recoveries (70-120%) and standard deviations below 20% were achieved for the majority of pesticides from fortified samples. The measured values for both SRMs agreed with certified values (71-115% accuracy, 4-14% relative standard deviations) for all pesticides, except for p,p-DDD + o,p-DDT (45%) and heptachlor (133%) in SRM 1974b and except for mirex (58%) and trans-chlordane (136%) in SRM 1947. The developed method is fast, simple, and inexpensive with detection limits of 0.5-5 ng/g. Residues of dimethoate, hexachlorobenzene, BHC, lindane, nonachlor, chlorpyrifos, trifluralin, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDD, o,p-DDD, o,p-DDT, p,p-DDD, and chlordane were measured in catfish samples from the market.

Multi-class, multi-residue analysis of pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and novel flame retardants in fish using fast, low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-class, multi-residue method for the analysis of 13 novel flame retardants, 18 representative pesticides, 14 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in catfish muscle was developed and evaluated using fast low pressure gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS–MS). The method was based on a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) extraction with acetonitrile and dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up with zirconium-based sorbent prior to LP-GC/MS–MS analysis. The developed method was evaluated at 4 spiking levels and further validated by analysis of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) 1974B and 1947. Sample preparation for a batch of 10 homogenized samples took about 1h/analyst, and LP-GC/MS–MS analysis provided fast separation of multiple analytes within 9min achieving high throughput. With the use of isotopically labeled internal standards, recoveries of all but one analyte were between 70 and 120% with relative standard deviations less than 20% (n=5). The measured values for both SRMs agreed with certified/reference values (72–119% accuracy) for the majority of analytes. The detection limits were 0.1–0.5ngg−1 for PCBs, 0.5–10ngg−1 for PBDEs, 0.5–5ngg−1 for select pesticides and PAHs and 1–10ngg−1 for flame retardants. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of catfish samples from the market.

Fast, low-pressure gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry for analysis of 150 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables

We developed and evaluated a new method of low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS–MS) using a triple quadrupole instrument for fast analysis of 150 relevant pesticides in four representative fruits and vegetables. This LP-GC (vacuum outlet) approach entails coupling a 10 m, 0.53 mm i.d., 1 μm film analytical column between the MS transfer line and a 3 m, 0.15 mm i.d. capillary at the inlet. The MS creates a vacuum in the 10 m analytical column, which reduces the viscosity of the He carrier gas and thereby shifts the optimal flow rate to greater velocity. By taking advantage of the H 2-like properties of He under vacuum, the short analytical column, a rapid oven temperature ramp rate, and the high selectivity and sensitivity of MS/MS, 150 pesticides were separated in <6.5 min. The 2.5 ms dwell time and 1 ms interscan delay of the MS/MS instrument were critical for achieving >8 data points across the 2–3 s wide peaks. To keep dwell and cycle times constant across all peaks, each segment consisted of 30 analytes (60 transitions). For assessment, we injected extracts of spiked broccoli, cantaloupe, lemon, and sweet potato from the updated QuEChERS sample preparation method. Average recoveries ( n = 72) were 70–120% for 144 of the pesticides, and reproducibilities were <20% RSD for all but 4 analytes. Also, detection limits were <5 ng/g for all but a few pesticides, depending on the matrix. In addition to high quality performance, the method gave excellent reliability and high sample throughput, including easy peak integration to obtain rapid results.

Evaluation of different sample treatments for determining pesticide residues in fat vegetable matrices like avocado by low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-residue method has been developed for determining 65 pesticide residues in greasy vegetable matrices such as avocado. Conventional organic solvent extraction assisted by a high-speed homogenizer was compared to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) as extraction techniques. Following this, the lipophilic extract was purified using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Alternative clean-up methods were also evaluated, as solid-phase extraction cartridges individually used and downstream coupled, but less effective lipophilic separation was archived. The pesticide residue determination was carried out using low-pressure gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC–MS–MS), showing the applicability of this type of GC columns for the analysis of fat vegetable matrices. The proposed methodology was validated in avocado matrix. The recoveries were in the range 70–110%, with RSD values lower than 19%, at 12 and 50 μg/kg spiking levels. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) were in the range 0.04–8.33 μg/kg and the limits of detection (LODs) were between 0.01 and 2.50 μg/kg. All of them were lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set by the European Union (EU) in avocado. The proposed method was evaluated analyzing pesticide residues in real avocado samples.

Single step determination of fragrances in Cucurbita flowers by coupling headspace solid-phase microextraction low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Coupling headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LP–GC–MS–MS) has been used for determining 20 volatile compounds present in flowers. HS-SPME coupled with LP–GC–MS–MS acts in a synergic way allowing a fast extraction and analysis of the target compounds. The method has been optimised studying the influence of the adsorption temperature and adsorption time. The best results were obtained heating the SPME vials at 60 °C for 5 min using 65 μm poly(dimethylsiloxane–divinylbenzene) fibers. The validation of the method ensures the fitness for the purpose of the analytical method, achieving appropriate lower limits, recoveries and precision. The analytical method has been applied to the characterisation of zucchini flowers fragrances in air using passive sampling, in order to improve our knowledge on zucchini fragrances and to better pollination technique in future steps.

Reduction of analysis time in gas chromatography: Application of low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to the determination of pesticide residues in vegetables

An alternative to conventional capillary gas chromatography (GC) is evaluated as a new approach to determine pesticide residues in vegetables. Low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC–MS–MS) is proposed after a fast and simple extraction of the vegetable samples with dichloromethane and without clean up. The use of the above-mentioned GC technique reduced the total time required to determine 72 pesticides to less than half the present time (31 min), increasing the capability of a monitoring routine laboratory. The use of guard column and plug of carbofrit into the glass liner in combination with LP-GC was evaluated. The method was validated with limits of quantitation low enough to determine the pesticide residues at concentrations below the maximum residue levels stated by legislation. In order to assess its applicability to the analysis of real samples, 25 vegetable samples previously determined using conventional-capillary GC–MS–MS were analysed by LP-GC–MS–MS. The results obtained with the compared techniques showed differences lower than 0.01 mg kg −1.