Technology brief: Highly sensitive analysis of polar pesticides in food matrices

In this whitepaper, Waters discuss how to develop a sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the robust analysis of highly polar pesticides in food commodities without the need of derivatization…

Background

Glyphosate is a non-selective broad spectrum herbicide, which accounts for more than 60% of global herbicide sales. While discussions on the toxicological concerns of glyphosate and associated compounds continue, maximum residue limits (MRLs) are enforced globally, varying on commodity of interest. Due to certain physicochemical characteristics of glyphosate, its metabolites and similar compounds, generic “catch-all” multiresidue methods are not appropriate. Traditionally, derivatization has been utilized to allow for chromatographic retention on reverse phase columns. While good sensitivity and repeatability have been reported using this technique, there is an interest in direct analysis to avoid timely sample preparation and derivatization. Ion chromatography offers an option for the direct analysis of such polar compounds; however, specialized equipment and the use of non-MS compatible solvent additives can be required.