Antonia Garrido-Frenich

Comprehensive qualitative and quantitative determination of pesticides and veterinary drugs in honey using liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry.

A database has been created for the simultaneous analysis of more than 350 pesticides and veterinary drugs (including antibiotics) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS). This is a comprehensive exact mass database built using the Exactive-Orbitrap analyzer. The developed database includes exact masses of the target ions and retention time data, and allows the automatic search of the included compounds. Generic chromatographic and MS conditions have been applied. The presented database is suitable for qualitative analysis, and it was also evaluated for quantitative purposes in routine analysis, after the optimization and validation of a generic extraction method in honey samples. Adequate recovery and precision values for most of the studied analytes were obtained and the limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 1 to 50 μg kg(-1). For pesticides, LODs were always lower than the MRLs established by European Union in honey, except for a few compounds. This method was applied to the analysis of 26 real honey samples and some pesticides (azoxystrobin, coumaphos, dimethoate and thiacloprid) were detected in 4 samples. Azoxystrobin and coumaphos were determined in two different samples (organic honey) at 1.5 μg kg(-1) and 5.1 μg kg(-1). Veterinary drugs were not detected in the analyzed samples.

Application of a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe-based method for the simultaneous extraction of chlorophenols, alkylphenols, nitrophenols and cresols in agricultural soils, analyzed by using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.

Due to the different physico-chemical properties of phenols, the development of a methodology for the simultaneous extraction and determination of phenolic compounds belonging to several families, such as chlorophenols (CPs), alkylphenols (APs), nitrophenols (NTPs) and cresols is difficult. This study shows the development and validation of a method for the analysis of 13 phenolic compounds (including CPs, APs, NTPs and cresols) in agricultural soils. For this purpose, a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS)-based procedure was developed, validated and applied to the analysis of real samples. A derivatization step prior to the final determination by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to a triple quadrupole analyzer operating in tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS) was performed by using acetic acid anhydride (AAA) and pyridine (Py). The optimized procedure was validated, obtaining average extraction recoveries in the range 69-103% (10microgkg(-1)), 65-98% (50microgkg(-1)), 76-112% (100microgkg(-1)) and 76-112% (300microgkg(-1)), with precision values (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSD)< or =22% (except for 4-chlorophenol) involving intra-day and inter-day studies. Furthermore, 15 real soil samples were analyzed by the proposed method in order to assess its applicability. Some phenolic compounds (e.g. 2,4,6-trichlorophenol or 4-tert-octylphenol) were found in the samples at trace levels (<10microgkg(-1)).

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).

Simultaneous analysis of chlorophenols, alkylphenols, nitrophenols and cresols in wastewater effluents, using solid phase extraction and further determination by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An analytical methodology has been developed for the simultaneous extraction of 13 phenolic compounds, including chlorophenols (CPs), nitrophenols (NTPs), cresols and alkylphenols (APs) in different types of wastewater (WW) effluents. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method has been optimized prior to the determination by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS). Due to the complexity of the matrix, a comparison study of matrix-matched-calibration (MMC) and standard addition calibration (SAC) was carried out for quantification purposes. The optimized procedure was validated using the SAC approach since it provided the most adequate quantification results (in terms of recovery and precision values). Recoveries were in the range 60-135% (0.5 μg L(-1)), 70-115% (1 μg L(-1)), and 78-120% (5 μg L(-1)), with precision values (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSD) ≤ 30% (except for 2-nitrophenol) involving intra-day and inter-day precision studies. Limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were also evaluated, and LOQs ranged from 0.03 μg L(-1) to 2.5 μg L(-1). The proposed method was applied to the analysis of 8 real WW effluent samples, finding some phenolic compounds (e.g. 2-chlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and 4-tert-octylphenol) at concentrations higher than the established LOQs.

Analysis of Pesticides in Water Samples Using GC-ECD and GC-MS/MS Techniques

Abstract A pesticide multiresidue method for determining dichlorvos, naled. lindane, diazinon. chlorpyri-fos-methyl, dichlofluanid, chlorpyrifos, folpet, α– and β-endosulfan, endosulfan-sulphate, fen-propathrin and acrinathrin in water samples at the levels required by the EEC Drinking Waters Directive has been developed. The pesticides were selected among the most used during die last 20 years in Almeria (Spain), where there is a high agricultural activity. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) was selected as extraction method after being compared with Liquid-Liquid Extraction (LLE). Moreover, different gas chromatographic detectors (Electron Capture Detector, ECD; Mass Spectrometer, MS; Tandem Mass Spectrometer, MS/MS) were compared. The best results of repeatability and sensitivity were obtained for ECD and MS/MS.

Innovative determination of polar organophosphonate pesticides based on high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

The determination of compounds showing a very low molecular weight (i.e. < 200 Da) can be complicated when low-resolution mass spectrometry is used in the selected-reaction monitoring mode, since the possible number of product ions is reduced and the obtained reactions are not selective enough to overcome background noise and/or matrix interferences. In this study, the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry based on Exactive Orbitrap was applied for the determination of a group of polar organophosphonate pesticides and transformation products (TPs), which show the aforementioned features, in agricultural soils. Namely, glyphosate, glufosinate, ethephon and their TPs, aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA), 3-methylphosphinicopropionic acid, N-acetyl-glufosinate and 2-hydroxyethylphosphonic acid were analyzed. The [M-H](-) ions 168.00564, 180.04202, 142.96593, 110.00016, 151.01547, 222.05259 and 124.99982 were used, respectively, for the detection and identification of the compounds. Confirmation was carried out by using accurate mass measurements of ion fragments for each compound, from neutral losses of CO(2), H(2)O and H(2)CO (formaldehyde). Furthermore, the recently reported tool, relative isotopic mass defect (RΔm), was also used to support the confirmation protocol. The optimized method was fully validated at low levels, including the estimation of a not commonly used parameter: the limit of confirmation (LOC). This LOC is expressed as the lowest concentration of compound that can be confirmed using a fragment or the RΔm, and it ranged from 10 to 50 µg kg(-1) for all compounds. All the data was obtained in a single injection. Finally, the method was applied to real soil samples, and glyphosate and AMPA were found at 265 µg kg(-1) and 105 µg kg(-1), respectively.

Determination of free and bound phenolic compounds in soy isoflavone concentrate using a PFP fused core column.

In the last years, the consumption of soy-based foods has increased due to the health benefits related to soy bioactives like phenolic compounds. Thus, in the present study, a new chromatographic method using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (RP-HPLC/DAD) was developed using a fused core pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column. The established method allowed the determination of twenty-one free phenolic compounds and eleven bound phenolics in a soy isoflavone concentrate. The method was validated in terms of precision and recovery. Intra and inter-day precision were less than 5% (% RSD) and the recovery was between 97.4% and 103.6%. Limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged between 0.093 and 0.443 μg/mL. Because of that, PFP stationary phase can be easily applied for routine determination of phenolic compounds in soy based foods.

Determination of lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds in raw and parboiled rice bran

Rice bran is one of the most important rice by-products and represents about 10% of rice production. This rice fraction contains large amounts of bioactive compounds; because of that, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of parboiling on the concentration of lipophilic bioactive compounds (fatty acids, tocols, γ-oryzanol and, free + esterified and bound sterols and triterpenic alcohols) and free and cell wall-bound phenolic compounds. Parboiling treatment caused changes in fatty acid composition and increased the total tocols and γ-oryzanol content. GC-qTOF-MS analysis of phytosterol and triterpenic alcohols allowed the determination of 14 compounds that were quantified in free and bound form; free phytosterol and triterpenic alcohol compounds represented 10 and 43% of the total fraction in raw and parboiled rice bran, respectively. The analysis of free and bound phenolic compounds was carried out by HPLC-DAD-TOF-MS. The TOF analyzer permitted the determination of 24 free and 27 bound phenolic compounds and, to our knowledge, some of them have been quantified for the first time in rice.

Multi-class pesticide determination in royal jelly by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

A solid phase extraction procedure based on the use of C18 cartridges has been developed and validated for the extraction of 127 pesticides from royal jelly. Ethyl acetate and n-hexane were used for pesticide elution. Pesticide determination and quantification were performed with gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using selective reaction monitoring. The total run time was 23 min. Because of matrix effects, pesticides were quantified using matrix-matched calibration. Recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% and the relative standard deviation was lower than 20% (intraday) and 25% (interday) for 10, 50 and 100 μg kg−1 of most of the target compounds. The limits of quantification were lower than 10 μg kg−1. The validated method was applied to the analysis of 6 royal jelly commercial products (liquid and capsule preparations) and no pesticides were detected above the limits of detection.

Optimization of a modified QuEChERS method for the determination of tetracyclines in fish muscle by UHPLC–MS/MS

HIGHLIGHTSTetracycline determination in fish samples by UHPLC–MS/MS in less than 4min.Optimization of a modified QuEChERS procedure as sample treatment.Validation of the method in panga and salmon with recoveries higher than 80%.LOQs were lower than 4.4&mgr;gkg−1 with RSD values lower than 18.5%. ABSTRACT In this work a sample treatment based on a modified QuEChERS method combined with ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) was proposed to determine the residues of five common tetracyclines in fish muscle samples. The separation was achieved in less than 4min and the analytes were detected in electrospray ionization in positive mode (ESI+) with multiple reaction monitoring mode. Parameters affecting the extraction step, such as the amount of sample and EDTA‐McIlvaine buffer and extraction solvent volumes, were optimized by means of experimental design. In order to obtain the lowest matrix effect, parameters affecting the clean‐up step by dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE), were also studied. Under optimum conditions, matrix effect was lower than |15|% in all cases. Limits of quantification were lower than 4.4&mgr;gkg−1 for the compounds in the selected samples, being in compliance with the current legislation. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was below 18.5% and the recoveries for fortified fish samples (salmon and panga) higher than 80%. These results revealed that the proposed method is simple, rapid, cheap and environmentally friendly, being successfully applicable for the determination of these residues in fish samples.