Multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of 16 acaricides by modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in citrus.

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analytical method was developed for simultaneously determining 16 acaricides in citrus based on an optimized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe strategy. Good linearities of the standard curve of 5-1000 μg/kg was obtained with regression coefficients higher than 0.9967. Recoveries for all compounds ranged from 72 to 111% with relative standard deviations lower than 14.4% at spiked levels of 5, 50, and 500 μg/kg. Low limits of detection and quantification were readily achieved ranging from 0.05 to 2.7 and 0.10 to 4.3 μg/kg, respectively. Matrix effects were also evaluated for 16 targets with most compounds achieved signal enhancement. Citrus peel gave the highest extent matrix effects, followed by whole citrus and pulp. Finally, this method was successfully applied to detect acaricides residues in real citrus samples. The results showed that pyridaben and quinalphos were the two most frequent and high-concentration compounds with concentrations exceeding the maximum residue limits in five samples, suggesting that the use of these acaricides should be regulated in China in the future.