Analysis of Agrochemical Residues in Tobacco Using Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography with Different Mass Spectrometric Techniques

A solid phase microextraction (SPME) method in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometric techniques was used for the extraction and quantification of 12 selected agrochemical residues in tobacco. The parameters such as the type of SPME fiber, adsorption/desorption time and the extraction temperature affecting the precision and accuracy of the SPME method were investigated and optimized. Among three types of fibers investigated, polyacrylate (PA), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB), PDMS fiber was selected for the extractions of the agrochemicals. The SPME device was automated and on-line coupled to a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometry (MS) was used and two different instruments, a quadrupole MS and triple quadrupole MS-MS mode, were compared. The performances of the two GC-MS instruments were comparable in terms of linearity (in the range of 0.01$\sim$0.5 $\mu$g/mL) and sensitivity (limits of detection were in the low ng/mL range). The triple quadrupole MS-MS instrument gave better precision than that of quadrupole MS system, but generally the relative standard deviations for replicates were acceptable for both instruments (< 15%). The LODs was fully satisfied the requirements of the CORESTA GRL. Recoveries of 12 selected agrochemicals in tobacco yielded more than 80% and reproducibility was found to be better than 10% RSD so that SPME procedure could be applied to the quantitative analysis of agrochemical residues in tobacco.