A fast and sensitive method using high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the determination of avermectins residues in ovine muscle samples. QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) sample preparation based on acetonitrile extraction followed by partitioning with NaCl and Na2SO4 and dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up with C18 was applied. Na2SO4 was used instead of MgSO4 due to lower amounts of co-extractives in the final extract. The procedure was validated according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The method showed determination coefficients (r2) higher than 0.99, recoveries between 93.2 and 124.3% for spike levels between 0.5 and 2.0 times the maximum residues limit (MRL) values. The repeatability and intermediate precision RSD values ranged from 1 to 19%. Decision limits (CCα) and detection capabilities (CCβ) ranged from 10.7 to 59.4 µg kg-1 and 11.4 to 68.8 µg kg-1, respectively. Method performance was successfully evaluated by analyzing real samples and proficiency test with a z-score in the range of ±1.

An easy and efficient sample preparation method was developed for the determination of natamycin residues in wine samples by solvent extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. After choosing acetonitrile as extraction solvent, an experimental design was carried out with different amounts of C18 and primary secondary amine (PSA) sorbents in order to optimize the clean-up step. Validation results were satisfactory, with recoveries from 77 to 95% and relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 10% for the spike levels 5, 10 and 20 µg L-1. Method limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 1.5 and 5.0 µg L-1, respectively. The validated method proved to be an excellent analytical tool, with a total analysis time of 3 min. The method was applied in 10 Brazilian wine samples and no residues of natamycin were detected.

O mel pode apresentar resíduos de pesticidas devido à contaminação das abelhas durante a coleta de pólen e néctar ou por tratamento das colmeias. Assim, a determinação de resíduos de pesticidas em mel é de grande importância, apesar da dificuldade devido à complexidade da matriz. Neste estudo, um novo método para a determinação de pesticidas de diferentes grupos químicos em mel foi desenvolvido e validado. Amostras de mel foram extraídas pelo método QuEChERS modificado e analisados por cromatografia gasosa com detecção por captura de elétrons (GC-ECD). Os resultados de recuperação, avaliados em três níveis de fortificação, foram entre 71 e 119% para a maioria dos compostos, com valores de desvio padrão relativo (RSD) < 20%. O método proposto permite a determinação com limites de detecção entre 3 e 6 µg kg-1, combinando a extração e limpeza do extrato de forma efetiva, com boa sensibilidade e seletividade, e foi aplicado com sucesso na análise de amostras comerciais de mel.

Honey can present pesticide residues due to the contamination of bees during the collection of pollen and nectar or by treatment of hives. Thus, the determination of pesticide residues in honey is of great importance, despite the difficulty due to the complexity of the matrix. In this study a new method for the determination of pesticides from different chemical groups in honey was developed and validated. Honey samples were extracted by modified QuEChERS method and analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Recovery results, evaluated at three spike levels, were between 71 and 119% for most of the compounds, with relative standard deviation (RSD) < 20%. The proposed method enables the determination at limits of detection between 3 and 6 µg kg-1, combining effective extraction and clean-up steps with good sensitivity and selectivity, and was successfully applied to the analysis of commercial honey samples.

Considering the possibility that pesticides used in cattle raising produce residues in milk and cause harm to public health, this study developed a multiresidue method for determination of pesticide residues in bovine milk, using a modified QuEChERS method for sample preparation, and quantification by GC-MS/MS. The method proved to be efficient, resulting in satisfactory recoveries in the range 71.1 to 117.4%, for 45 of the 48 compounds analyzed with RSD values < 17.3%. The method LOD and LOQ were3.0 and 10.0 µg L-1, respectively, except for cyfluthrin which showed 7.5 and 25.0 µg L-1.