Development and Validation of Multiclass Chiral Pesticide Residues Analysis Method in Tea by QuEChERS Combined Liquid Chromatography Quadruple-Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

Background No single pure enantiomeric pesticide residues was investigated and set regulations for tea quality safety and risk assessment. Objective Due to lack of chiral pesticide analysis method and data, the Maximum residue limits (MRLs) about the chiral pesticides in tea was unknown. Method An analytical method for the determination of chiral pesticide residues by QuEChERS combined chiral liquid chromatography quadruple/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS-Qtrap) was developed and applied to the analysis of various teas. Results The mean recoveries for pesticides enantiomers ranged from 75.9% to 112.4%. Reproducibility represented by relative standard deviation percentage was 10% or less. Good linearity was achieved for all enantiomers with determination coefficients (r2) greater than 0.99. The detection of limit (CCα) and quantification of limit (CCβ) were 0.2 ∼1 µg/kg and 0.5∼5 µg/kg, respectively. Conclusions The method was suitable for monitoring the enantiomeric pesticide residues in various teas. Highlights Enantioselective multiclass pesticide residues were determined in various teas by LC-MS/MS-Qtrap, additional Qtrap scan functions greatly enhance the performance of screening, confirmation, and identification of chiral pesticides.