Description
The aim of this study was to extend the applicability of the QuEChERSER method in pesticides analysis of insects larvae samples, which are particularly challenging matrices due to their high fat content. Sample preparation followed the original QuEChERSER protocol in which two grams of homogenized insect samples were extracted with a 4/1 (v/v) acetonitrile/water solution for 5 minutes by shaking, followed by centrifugation for 3 minutes. In the original QuEChERSER method, a small portion is transferred into a clean vial and run into LC-MS/MS without further clean-up, while in our study we transferred all the extract into a tube for the salting out step. After phase separation 1.5 mL of the extract was transferred into a sample vial, 300 µL of which undergoes clean-up by micro-solid-phase extraction (ITSP-µSPE cartridge) using a stand-alone automatic sample preparation system. The same cleaned extract was analyzed in both GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. The validation and ongoing validation were performed according to SANTE/11312/2021 (V2) at three spiking levels (5, 10 and 100 µg kg-1) in two insects larvae sample (black soldier fly larvae and mealworm). Results from the ongoing validation shown that the limit of quantification from 139 compounds analysis in GC-MS/MS was 5 µg kg-1 for 77 % of compounds in the black soldier fly larvae and 86 % in mealworm samples. In the LC-MS/MS, 80 % of the compounds from a total of 150 compounds had the LOQ at 5 µg kg-1 in black soldier fly larvae. In mealworm sample only 74 % of compounds could have the LOQ 5 µg kg-1.The results show that “QuEChERSER” followed by µ-SPE clean-up is applicable method for pesticides analyses in complex matrices such insect larvae.
| Period | 16 Sept 2024 → 20 Sept 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | European Pesticide Residue Workshop (EPRW) 2024 |
| Event type | Workshop |
| Location | Zürich, SwitzerlandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |