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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #324614
Title: Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in straw roughage by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry

Author
item ZHANG, ZIHAO - China Agricultural University
item FENG, MENGYUAN - China Agricultural University
item ZHU, KECHEN - China Agricultural University
item HAN, LIJUN - China Agricultural University
item Sapozhnikova, Yelena
item Lehotay, Steven

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2016
Publication Date: 2/16/2016
Citation: Zhang, Z., Feng, M., Zhu, K., Han, L., Sapozhnikova, Y.V., Lehotay, S.J. 2016. Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in straw roughage by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 64:6091-6099. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05981.

Interpretive Summary: Pesticide residues in animal feed can be transferred to livestock and lead to human exposure. Also, the pesticides applied to hay, straw, and other sources of roughage in animal feed can negatively impact the environment. Thus, rapid, effective, easy, and low-cost methods of analysis are needed to monitor pesticide residues in straw to help protect humans and the environment from excessive exposure to pesticides. In this study, advantageous methods of analysis for up to 69 pesticides of concern in wheat and rice straws was developed. The methods were validated according to international standards and may be used worldwide for routine monitoring of straw roughage.

Technical Abstract: A multiresidue analytical method using a modification of the “quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe” (QuEChERS) sample preparation approach combined with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis was established and validated for the rapid determination of 69 pesticides at different levels (1-100 ng/g) in wheat and rice straws. In the quantitative analysis, the recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% and consistent RSDs =20% were achieved for most of the target analytes (53 pesticides in wheat straw, and 58 in rice straw). Almost all of the analytes achieved good linearity with R2>0.98 and the limit of validation levels (LVLs) for diverse pesticides ranged from 1 to 10 ng/g. Different extraction and cleanup conditions were evaluated in both types of straw, leading to different options. The use of 0.1% formic acid or not in extraction with acetonitrile yielded similar final outcomes, but led to use of a different sorbent in dispersive solid-phase extraction. Both options are fast, easy, and reliable for the multiresidue analysis of targeted pesticides in wheat and rice straw samples.