Simultaneous Analysis of Pesticides in Food With GC-MS/MS Using Hydrogen Carrier Gas

Significance of the Topic

Reliable monitoring of pesticide residues in food is essential to ensure consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Traditional GC-MS/MS methods rely on helium as carrier gas, but rising costs and supply shortages have driven interest in hydrogen as an alternative. Adopting hydrogen carrier gas can lower operating expenses, maintain analytical performance, and support high-throughput testing in food safety laboratories.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aimed to develop and validate a simultaneous GC-MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of 216 pesticide residues in orange and spinach matrices using hydrogen carrier gas. Key goals included optimizing sample preparation, evaluating method sensitivity and linearity, and assessing recovery and repeatability to demonstrate suitability for routine QA/QC applications.

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

Samples of whole oranges and spinach were freeze-ground and extracted via the QuEChERS approach with acetic acid/acetonitrile, followed by dispersive SPE cleanup. Final extracts were concentrated and reconstituted in acetone/hexane prior to GC-MS/MS analysis.

• GC-MS/MS System: Shimadzu GCMS-TQ8050 NX triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer
• Autoinjectors: AOC-30i and AOC-20s U
• Carrier Gas: High-purity hydrogen (generator)
• Column: SH-I-5Sil MS, 30 m × 0.25 mm I.D., 0.25 µm; Rxi guard column
• Data Processing: LabSolutions Insight quantitative support software

Main Results and Discussion

Calibration curves were established for all target pesticides, with linearity (R² > 0.96) across 1–100 ng/mL for 152 compounds and 2–100 ng/mL for 28 compounds. Recovery tests at 10 ng/mL spiking level yielded recoveries between 70 % and 120 % for 70 % of analytes in orange and 74 % in spinach. Repeatability (%RSD) was ≤10 % for 144 compounds in orange and 182 in spinach. The hydrogen-based method achieved comparable sensitivity and selectivity to helium-based approaches, with stable retention times and clear MRM chromatograms.

Benefits and Practical Application

This hydrogen-carrier GC-MS/MS method offers:

• Cost savings through use of on-site hydrogen generation
• High sensitivity and accuracy for multi-residue screening
• Robust recovery and repeatability in complex food matrices
• Compatibility with existing GC infrastructures

It is well suited for routine monitoring of pesticide residues in food safety labs and regulatory agencies.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Further development may focus on expanding the compound scope, integrating high-resolution mass spectrometry, and automating sample preparation workflows. Advances in software-driven data processing and machine learning could enhance throughput and data interpretation. The approach is also adaptable to environmental and biomonitoring applications where multi-analyte quantification is required.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that hydrogen carrier gas can replace helium in GC-MS/MS analysis of 216 pesticides with excellent analytical performance. This approach addresses helium scarcity, reduces costs, and maintains high sensitivity and precision, supporting efficient food safety testing.

Reference

No specific literature references were provided in the source document.