Chemometric-assisted QuEChERS extraction method for the residual analysis of thiacloprid, spirotetramat and spirotetramat's four metabolites in pepper: Application of their dissipation patterns

Chemometric tools equipped with a Plackett-Burman (P-B) design, a central composite design (CCD) and a desirability profile were employed to optimise the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method for the quantification of thiacloprid, spirotetramat and spirotetramat's four metabolites in pepper. The average recoveries were in the range of 71.6-119.5%, with relative standard deviations ⩽ 12.1%. The limit of quantification for the method was less than 0.01 mg/kg. The method was applied to field samples to evaluate the residual characteristics of thiacloprid and spirotetramat. The data showed that the first+first-order model is a better fit than the first order model for the dissipation of thiacloprid and spirotetramat in pepper. The half-lives of thiacloprid and spirotetramat in pepper are 0.81 and 1.21 days, respectively. The final residues were between 0.016 mg/kg and 0.13 mg/kg for thiacloprid and 0.08 mg/kg and 0.12 mg/kg for spirotetramat.