Qualitative aspects and validation of a screening method for pesticides in vegetables and fruits based on liquid chromatography coupled to full scan high resolution (Orbitrap) mass spectrometry

The analytical capabilities of liquid chromatography with single-stage high-resolution mass spectrometry have been investigated with emphasis on qualitative aspects related to selective detection during screening and to identification. The study involved 21 different vegetable and fruit commodities, a screening database of 556 pesticides for evaluation of false positives, and a test set of 130 pesticides spiked to the commodities at 0.01, 0.05, and 0.20 mg/kg for evaluation of false negatives. The final method involved a QuEChERS-based sample preparation (without dSPE clean up) and full scan acquisition using alternating scan events without/with fragmentation, at a resolving power of 50,000. Analyte detection was based on extraction of the exact mass (±5 ppm) of the major adduct ion at the database retention time ±30 s and the presence of a second diagnostic ion. Various options for the additional ion were investigated and compared (other adduct ions, M + 1 or M + 2 isotopes, fragments). The two-ion approach for selective detection of the pesticides in the full scan data was compared with two alternative approaches based on response thresholds. Using the two-ion approach, the number of false positives out of 11,676 pesticide/commodity combinations targeted was 36 (0.3 %). The percentage of false negatives, assessed for 2,730 pesticide/commodity combinations, was 13 %, 3 %, and 1 % at the 0.01-, 0.05-, and 0.20-mg/kg level, respectively (slightly higher with fully automated detection). Following the SANCO/12495/2011 protocol for validation of screening methods, the screening detection limit was determined for 130 pesticides and found to be 0.01, 0.05, and ≥0.20 mg/kg for 86, 30, and 14 pesticides, respectively. For the detected pesticides in the spiked samples, the ability for unambiguous identification according to EU criteria was evaluated. A proposal for adaption of the criteria was made

Recherche de résidus d'antibiotiques dans la filière bovine française: des progrès à intensifier

International audiencePour la recherche de résidus antibiotiques dans la viande bovine, par exemple, des méthodes de chromatographie liquide couplée à la spectrométrie sont désormais validées et utilisées en France, permettant de détecter rapidement plus de 60 antibiotiques. Sont ciblées les carcasses “anormales” ou qui font l’objet d’informations suspectes sur le document d’accompagnement.La filière bovine française a obtenu des résultats très encourageants sur les échantillons de 2013 (les résultats 2016 sont en cours d’analyse). Le non-respect des temps d’attente ou de la prescription, chez les vaches de réforme et les veaux, est principalement en cause pour les résidus dans la viande bovine. Des progrès semblent encore possibles

Development of a multi-class method to determine nitroimidazoles, nitrofurans, pharmacologically active dyes and chloramphenicol in aquaculture products by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

International audienceLC-MS/MS method was developed for the efficient identification and quantification of 21 banned substances including various nitroimidazoles, nitrofurans, pharmacologically-active dyes and chloramphenicol, respectively in aquaculture products. The sample preparation was started by acid-treatment with 2-nitrobenzaldehyde (NBA) to liberate matrix-bound residues of nitrofurans. A modified QuEChERS method was optimized for the extraction and clean-up of the target analytes. The metabolites of the four conventional nitrofurans (nitrofurantoin, furazolidone, nitrofurazone and furaltadone) and of three other nitrofurans (nifursol, nifuroxazide, and nitrovin), and an underivatizable nitrofuran (nifurpirinol) were simultaneously detected. Furthermore, 21 banned substances were quantified by LC-MS/MS with ESI using one single injection. To evaluate and validate the performance of the method the criteria of the Decision (EC) no 2002/657 were applied. Decision limit (CCα) of target analytes ranged 0.067-1.655 μg/kg in aquaculture products. The recovery ranged 77.2%-125.6%, and the relative standard deviations of inter-day analyses (RSD) were less than 25%

Development of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine colistin, bacitracin and virginiamycin M1 at cross-contamination levels in animal feed

International audienceCross-contamination of animal feed with antibiotics may occur during manufacturing in feed mills, because shared production lines can be used for medicated and non-medicated feed, but may also occur during transport, storage and at the farm level. This is a major issue in the current context where antimicrobial usage must be controlled in order to maintain their effectiveness. A LC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of colistin, bacitracin A and virginiamycin M1 in feed for pigs, poultry and rabbits at concentrations similar to those encountered in cross-contamination. After investigating various issues related to colistin behaviour and matrix effects, we successfully validated this method according to the requirements of European regulations in terms of linearity, trueness, precision, limit of quantification and limit of decision. Trueness ranged 88.6–107.8% and precision ranged 12.6–21.2%. We then applied this method to the analysis of medicated pig feed to check the performance of the method on “real” samples of medicated feed. We subsequently analysed non-medicated pig, and rabbit feed samples, collected directly on farms, to check the rate of cross-contamination. No samples were contaminated by colistin, bacitracin, or virginiamycin

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of N -(3-aminopropyl)- N -dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine, a biocidal disinfectant, in dairy products

International audienc