Pesticide Screening with Micro-flow UHPLC

Reduce costs – without sacrificing analytical performance – in pesticide screening of food samples using microLC-MS/MS

Traditionally in pesticide screening of food, samples are prepared using generic extraction procedures, like QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) (1, 2) and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS or GC-MS/MS. Usually in LC-MS/MS analysis, LC flow rates exceed 400 µL/min and are used in combination with small particle size HPLC columns with high pressures to maintain sharp peaks and fast chromatography. These flow rates produce excellent peak shapes and results, but have a draw back in that they require higher volumes of organic solvents. The consumption of HPLC organic solvents, such as acetonitrile and methanol, is a growing cost of analysis, and their disposal can have an adverse environmental impact. Therefore, new approaches to reduce solvent consumption in pesticide residue testing will be beneficial to the environment while also reducing the running costs of a testing lab.