Optimalization of multiresidue method for the determination of pesticide residues in fruits

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to optimize the QuEChERS methodology for the comprehensive determination of pesticide residues using a simple and inexpensive gas chromatography equipped with selective detectors working simultaneously (GC-ECD/NPD). The method was validated in accordance with the SANTE/11945/2015 guidelines. Representative fruit matrices were chosen from the commodities group with high water content (apples), and with high acidity and high water content (strawberry) for a 160 compounds in the range of 0.005−0.02 mg/kg. The accuracy of the method was as required (recovery: 70–120%, precision: below 20%) for 135 active substances in apples samples and 137 in strawberries samples. The main advantages of the methodology include: good detector response linearity (R2 above 0.995), low limits of detection (0.005 mg/kg for more than 20 compounds, 0.01 mg/kg for about 120 compounds), possibility of simultaneous determination of a wide range of compounds (including some “difficult” ones) without use of a single residue methods. The simultaneous use of two selective detectors allows to obtain more data during a single dose of the sample and confirmation of the result for most compounds, which allows to prevent false positives ones.