MULTIRESIDUE ANALYSIS OF OVER 233 PESTICIDES IN CUCUMBER AND GRAPEFRUIT SAMPLES USING A QuEChERS AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY-BASED METHOD

Abstract

This report describes the 233 pesticide residue in cucumber and grapefruit sold in Turkey. In total, 680 fruit and vegetable samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography connected to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with the device in which gas chromatography to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) units work together. In cucember, limit of detection (LOD) varied from 0.17 mu g kg(-1) to 11.8 mu g kg(-1) and the limit of quantifications (LOQ) varied from 0.42 mu g kg(-1) to 39.35 mu g kg(-1); whereas for grapefruit, LOD, and LOQ values varied from 0.13 mu g kg(-1) to 11.80 mu g kg(-1), 0.42 mu g kg(-1), and 39.35 mu g kg(-1), respectively. Recoveries obtained for each pesticide in both matrices ranged between 77.87% and 104.15%. Relative standard deviation (RSD) values calculated were > 20% (24.32%) for clofentazine in cucember at 20.0 mg kg(-1) and (21.36%) for propyzamide, (29.11%) for fludioxonil grapefruit at 100 mu g kg(-1). For the other compounds, at both concentration levels evaluated in cucumber and grapefruit, the RSD values were < 20%. The extended measurement uncertainty for individual pesticides ranged from 0.208 to 0.434. In general, 11.6% of cucumbers and 13.8% of grapefruits contained at least one detectable residue, but levels were below the EU legal limits.