Fast routine analysis of polar pesticides in foods by suppressed ion chromatography and mass spectrometry

Fast routine analysis of polar pesticides in foods by suppressed ion chromatography and mass spectrometry

Goal

To develop and test an IC-MS/MS multi-residue method that can be applied for high-throughput screening and quantitation of polar pesticide residues and their metabolites in food matrices below the current legislative requirements.

Introduction

The presence of very polar ionic pesticides in surface and drinking water, as well as food and beverages, has become a controversial issue in recent years. The development of genetically modified crops tolerant to glyphosate and glufosinate, for example, promoted the use of these broad spectrum herbicides.

In addition, glyphosate is used as a crop desiccant to suppress weeds in parks and at roadsides. Consequently, these pesticides often occur in foods as residues and in the environment as contaminants of surface waters. There are concerns about their potential adverse effects on human health, such as their potential carcinogenicity,¹ although the latest toxicological assessments do not predict risks for humans under normal conditions or environmental exposures.² Current regulations offset maximum residue levels (MRLs) of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) at 100 ng/L in drinking water. In food and beverage samples, higher MRLs typically apply, ranging generally from 10 μg/kg for food intended for consumption by children up to hundreds of mg/kg in other matrices.³