Mass Spectrometry
Online ISSN : 2186-5116
Print ISSN : 2187-137X
ISSN-L : 2186-5116
Technical Report
Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE)-HPLC-Tandem MS-Based Method for Multi-Residue Determination of Pesticides in Drinking Water
Alex Affricano Silvia SerraAlice Di BernardoRiccardo AigottiFrancesco FlorisFederica Dal BelloClaudio Medana
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2025 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages A0172

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Abstract

Pesticide residues in water contamination represent a significant public and political issue due to their harmful effects on the environment, biodiversity, and human health, even at low concentrations. Pesticides are chemically heterogeneous, covering a wide range of LogKo/w values. Therefore, developing sensitive methods to detect a broad spectrum of hazardous chemicals in aqueous matrices is challenging. Gas and liquid chromatography/high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/HPLC-MS) are established tools but typically require pre-concentration steps. Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) is a green, simple, automatable, and HPLC-compatible technique. This study presents a multi-residue method for determining 131 pesticides in mineral water using SBSE followed by HPLC-tandem MS. The selected pesticides, from various chemical classes, were evaluated in fortified ultra-pure and mineral water samples. The method demonstrated excellent sensitivity, with lower limits of quantification ranging from 20 to 50 ng/L for all analytes, enabling detection at trace levels. Selectivity was high (SEL% <20%), and reproducibility was confirmed with RSD% values below 20%. Intra- and interday precision tests revealed RSD% values from 0.23% to 19.81%. Trueness was validated with BIAS% below 20% at all concentrations. Uncertainty values were acceptable, with U% ranging from 1.44% to 49.24%. This SBSE-HPLC-tandem MS method is a robust, efficient, and reliable alternative to traditional approaches for routine monitoring of pesticide residues in drinking water, with quantification limits below regulatory requirements. It offers a suitable tool for public health applications, ensuring reliable pesticide detection in complex water matrices.

Graphical summary of validation results, including the LLOQ (a.), SEL% (b.), RSD% (c.), BIAS% (d.), and U% (e.). Fullsize Image
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© 2025 Alex Affricano, Silvia Serra, Alice Di Bernardo, Riccardo Aigotti, Francesco Floris, Federica Dal Bello, and Claudio Medana

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons [Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International] license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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