Development of a fast multi-residue method for the determination of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in cereals, vegetables and fruits by modified QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS

In this study, a simple, sensitive and efficient analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of 11 fungicides in grape, potato, rice, corn, wheat and soybean using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The fungicides were extracted using acetonitrile, and then the extracts were cleaned up using primary secondary amine (PSA), octadecylsilane (C18) and graphitized carbon black (GCB). Method validation displayed acceptable linearities for all pesticides (R² greater than 0.99). The calculated limits of detection and quantification were 1 μg kg^-1 and 10 μg kg^-1 in different matrices, respectively. It was necessary to employ matrix-matched standards for correct quantification of these fungicides in all matrices. Acceptable recoveries (75.7-104.2%) were obtained for all the target compounds with good intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 11.9%). The results indicated that the method is reliable for detecting these fungicides in various foods.

Keywords: Food; Fungicides; QuEChERS; Residue; Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor; UHPLC–MS/MS.