Development of a matrix solid-phase dispersion method for the simultaneous determination of pyrethroid and organochlorinated pesticides in cattle feed

Advancement and New Trends in Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food: A Comprehensive Review

Food safety is a rising challenge worldwide due to the expanding population and the need to produce food to feed the growing population. At the same time, pesticide residues found in high concentrations in fresh agriculture pose a significant threat to food safety. Presently, crop output is being increased by applying herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, nematicides, and soil amendments. A combination of factors, including bioaccumulation, widespread usage, selective toxicity, and stability, make pesticides among the most toxic compounds polluting the environment. They are especially harmful in vegetables and fruits because people are exposed to them. Thus, it is critical to monitor pesticide levels in fruits and vegetables using all analytical techniques available. Any evaluation of the condition of pesticide contamination in fruits and vegetables necessitates knowledge of maximum residue levels (MRLs). We set out the problems in determining various types of pesticides in vegetables and fruits, including the complexity and the diversity of matrices in biological materials. This review examines the different analytical techniques to determine the target analytes that must be isolated before final consumption. Many processes involved determining pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and their advantages and disadvantages have been discussed with recommendations. Furthermore, MRLs of target pesticide residues in fruit and vegetable samples are discussed in the context of data from the literature. The review also examines MRLs' impact on the international trade of fruits and vegetables. Accurate, sensitive, and robust analytical procedures are critical to ensuring that pesticide levels in food products are effectively regulated. Despite advances in detection technology, effective sample preparation procedures for pesticide residue measurement in cereals and feedstuffs are still needed. In addition, these methods must be compatible with current analytical techniques. Multi-residue approaches that cover a wide range of pesticides are desired, even though pesticides' diverse natures, classes, and physio-chemical characteristics make such methods challenging to assemble. This review will be valuable to food analysts and regulatory authorities to monitor the quality and safety of fresh food products.

Biochemical and phytoremediation of Plantago major L. to protect tomato plants from the contamination of cypermethrin pesticide

Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly therapy to minimize soil pollution. Cypermethrin (CYP) is one of the most frequently used pyrethroid insecticides against a variety of pests. We aimed at evaluating the potential of using an economic plant like tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as a control alone and together with Plantago major L. (PM) for the uptake of CYP residue from contaminated soil, also, investigating the antioxidant enzymes such as (SOD, POD, and CAT) in roots of PM and tomato. For the first time, we studied the intercropping between PM on tomato plants for the uptake of CYP residue from contaminated soil and phytoremediation of PM as a curative plant to save tomato plants from CYP residue. In a pot experiment, we have cultivated PM and tomato in soil polluted with CYP (10 μg g-1). Data showed that PM and tomato accumulated significant amounts of CYP in their tissues. However, PM is better than tomato in uptake CYP from the soil. The longest half-life value (t1/2) of CYP was in PM + tomato together treatment (12.7 days), and the shortest was in the soil with tomato alone (6.81 days). Moreover, the activity of SOD, POD, and CAT in treated tomato and PM roots significantly (p > 0.05) exceeded control plants after 8 days from exposure. In this study, a good strategy was recommended to uptake CYP residue from soil by PM and protect tomato plants from CYP residue as well as safe for human and non-target organisms.

An efficient cleanup method coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for multi-pesticides residue analysis in complex plant matrices

We aimed to develop an efficient cleanup method for multi-pesticides residue analysis in complex plant matrices, shallot, ginger, garlic, onion, leek, and celery. Column chromatography was used as the cleanup method and fabricated with florisil and graphitized carbon black as the adsorbents. The amount of the graphitized carbon black adsorbent and the choice of the elution solvent were systematically investigated for exploring the best combination. The target pesticides covered organochlorine, pyrethroid, and organophosphorus pesticides, and were 38 in total. The method validation and comparison were performed to verify its feasibility and advantages in operation convenience and purification efficiency. The method limit of quantitation varied from 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg, which depends on the pesticides and the sample matrices. The recoveries of the pesticides ranged from 60.5 to 128% (RSD ≤ 19.0%) at the spiked concentration level of 0.01 (or 0.03) mg/kg and 62.9 to 130% (RSD ≤ 13.0%) at 0.1 mg/kg. Compared with the commercial cleanup solid-phase extraction cartridges, the present adsorbent combination displayed better purification effect and shorter sample pretreatment time, demonstrating potential application prospect in the complex matrix sample analysis.

Detection of nonfluorescent cyhalothrin in honey by a spheral SiO2-based particle coating with thin fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers film

In this study, we report a general protocol for making core–shell SiO₂@KH570-MIP based on the surface modification of SiO₂ beads for the selective fluorescence detection of ultra trace cyhalothrin.

Determination of pesticide residues in ginseng by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A procedure involving acetonitrile-based extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and detection by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used for determination of 39 pesticides in ginseng. The extraction of pesticide residues in ginseng was performed with acetonitrile, applying QuEChERS methodology, and the extract was further disposed by DLLME method before analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS. The average recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% for 82% of the analytes with RSD lower than 15%. The calibration curves obtained with blank matrices were linear with a correlation coefficient of over 0.99. The limits of detection were between 0.01 and 1.0μg/kg. Matrix effects were studied by comparing solvent calibration curves and matrix-matched calibration curves. The results indicate the feasibility of this method for the determination of 39 pesticides in ginseng.

Analysis of coenzyme Q10 in bee pollen using online cleanup by accelerated solvent extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

A method for the determination of coenzyme Q10 in bee pollen has been developed applying an online cleanup of accelerated solvent extraction and using environmentally acceptable organic solvents. The extracted samples were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The optimised method employed 10 mL extraction cells, 1g sample size, absolute ethanol as extraction solvent, 80°C of extraction temperature, one extraction cycle, 5 min of static time, Cleanert Alumina-N as sorbent and 60% flush volume. The method was validated by means of an evaluation of the matrix effects, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), trueness, precision and stability. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.25-200mg/L and the LOD and LOQ were 0.16 and 0.35 mg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were above 90%. The inter- and intra-day precision was below 6.3%. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of bee pollen samples. For 20 bee pollen products, the coenzyme Q10 content varied from not detectable to 192.8 mg/kg.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in strawberries from integrated pest management and organic farming

A rapid, specific, and sensitive method based on the Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method and a cleanup using dispersive solid-phase extraction with MgSO(4), PSA, and C18 sorbents has been developed for the routine analysis of 14 pesticides in strawberries. The analyses were performed by three different analytical methodologies: gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD), mass spectrometry (MS), and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The recoveries for all the pesticides studied were from 46 to 128%, with relative standard deviation of <15% in the concentration range of 0.005-0.250 mg/kg. The limit of detection (LOD) for all compounds met maximum residue limits (MRL) accepted in Portugal for organochlorine pesticides (OCP). A survey study of strawberries produced in Portugal in the years 2009-2010 obtained from organic farming (OF) and integrated pest management (IPM) was developed. Lindane and β-endosulfan were detected above the MRL in OF and IPM. Other OCP (aldrin, o,p'-DDT and their metabolites, and methoxychlor) were found below the MRL. The OCP residues detected decreased from 2009 to 2010. The QuEChERS method was successfully applied to the analysis of strawberry samples.

Construction of uniformly sized pseudo template imprinted polymers coupled with HPLC-UV for the selective extraction and determination of trace estrogens in chicken tissue samples

To assess the potential risks associated with the environmental exposure of steroid estrogens, a novel highly efficient and selective estrogen enrichment procedure based on the use of molecularly imprinted polymer has been developed and evaluated. Herein, analogue of estrogens, namely 17-ethyl estradiol (EE(2)) was used as the pseudo template, to avoid the leakage of a trace amount of the target analytes. The resulting pseudo molecularly imprinted polymers (PMIPs) showed large sorption capacity, high recognition ability and fast binding kinetics for estrogens. Moreover, using these imprinted particles as dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) materials, the amounts of three estrogens (E(1), E(2) and E(3)) which were detected by HPLC-UV from the chicken tissue samples were 0.28, 0.31 and 0.17 μg g(-1), and the recoveries were 72.5-78.7%, 90.3-95.2% and 80.5-83.6% in spiked chicken tissue samples with RSD <7%, respectively. All these results reveal that EE(2)-PMIPs as DSPE materials coupled with HPLC-UV could be applied to the highly selective separation and sensitive determination of trace estrogens in chicken tissue samples.

Simultaneous extraction and cleanup method based on pressurized solvent extraction for multiresidue analysis of pesticides in complex feed samples

The development of a multiresidue method based on pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) to determine a large number of pesticides (mostly pyrethroids and organochlorines) in cattle feed is described. As far as we know, this is the first work dedicated to the PSE of many of the target pesticides from animal feed. A mixed level fraction design was performed to investigate the influence of several operational variables on the PSE procedure; integrated cleanup strategies were also assessed allowing the direct chromatographic analysis of the extracts. Method accuracy was evaluated by the analysis of a certified reference material (BCR-115) and different fortified cattle feed samples. Most analytes were recovered in the range of 70-110%, with relative standard deviations generally lower than 15%. Limits of detection (LODs) were below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set by the European Union for animal feed and main crops used in the preparation of feedingstuffs. The applicability of the proposed method was demonstrated by the analysis of real cattle feed samples collected from 23 dairy farms located in Galicia (NW Spain).