Determination of Bentazone, Chloridazon and Terbuthylazine and Some of Their Metabolites in Complex Environmental Matrices by Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Using a Modified QuEChERS Method: an Optimization and Validation Study

In a study on the behaviour of pesticides in a soil–plant–water system, the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method for analysing pesticide or metabolite residues in soil and maize (leaves, roots and kernels) was optimized and validated. The pesticides bentazone, chloridazon and terbuthylazine and their metabolites bentazone-methyl, chloridazon-desphenyl, chloridazon-methyl-desphenyl, terbuthylazine-desethyl and terbuthylazine-2-hydroxy were selected in this study. The QuEChERS extracts obtained from soil and maize matrices and the collected leachate were analysed by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) using a high-performance liquid chromatography and an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analytical column. As expected, shorter run times and higher sensitivity were achieved with the UHPLC column. Validation studies focused on recovery, repeatability, matrix effects, limits of detection and quantification. Recoveries (and repeatability relative standard deviation (RSD)) of the spiked samples were in the range of 55 to 98 % (7.4–18) in soil, 23 to 101 % (1.7–20) in maize and 82 to 105 % (4.4–25) in leachate. Quantification limits were lower than 3.0 μg kg−1 in soil, 7.3 μg kg−1 in maize and 0.080 μg l−1 in leachate.