Pesticide Analysis in Foods: Looking for a Better Way
Improved pesticide analysis with the Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Exactive™ GC-MS System
29 Dec 2016
Editorial article
Improved pesticide analysis with the Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Exactive™ GC-MS System
In an interview filmed during the North American Chemical Residue Workshop (NACRW) 2016, Jason Cole, GC/MS Product Manager from Thermo Fisher Scientific, discusses pesticide analysis in vegetable matrices using the new Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Exactive™ GC-MS System.
Jason explains that efficient pesticide analysis in foods is critical, as governments commonly regulate levels of pesticide exposure through food consumption. Analysis ensures products, both imported and those produced locally, are within regulatory limits.
Jason aimed to establish how the Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Exactive™ GC-MS System performed in pesticide analysis as an alternative to the typical method using GC- triple quadrupole MS/MS, and found that it delivers the selectivity and sensitivity required at low concentrations.
As part of his work, Jason established the need for at least 60K resolving power for accurate analysis of certain analytes in the more complex matrices. At lower resolving power, some analyte peaks could not be distinguished from the matrix, resulting in an indeterminate peak integration and false negative results.
Jason concludes, that in his opinion, the Thermo Scientific™ GC Orbitrap™ Exactive™ operated with full-scan acquisition has several advantages over traditional triple quadrupole MS for the routine analysis of pesticides at low levels in food matrices; the main benefit being that, in addition to quantification and identification of targeted pesticides, it is also possible to screen for non-targeted pesticides to substantially increase the scope of the method.