Pesticide analysis in toasted barley and chickpea flours

Analytical potentiality of a modified version of the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method has been studied and validated for the extraction of a group of 11 pesticides (ethoprophos, cadusafos, dimethoate, terbufos, disulfoton, chlorpyrifos-methyl, fenitrothion, pirimiphos-methyl, malathion, chlorpyrifos and fensulfothion) and some of their metabolites (malaoxon, disulfoton sulfoxide, terbufos sulfone and disulfoton sulfone) in toasted barley and chickpea flours. The method involves separation and quantification by gas chromatography (GC) with nitrogen phosphorus detection (NPD) using triphenylphosphate as the internal standard. Matrix-matched calibration was carried out for both flours due to the existence of a matrix effect. Linearity, recovery, precision and accuracy studies of the proposed QuEChERS-GC-NPD method were evaluated in each sample matrix. Mean recovery values were in the range of 73-118% with relative standard deviation values below 10%. Limits of detection of the whole method were between 0.07 and 57.39 μg/kg. The method was finally applied for the analysis of 14 samples collected in different zones of the Tenerife island. The residues of pirimiphos-methyl were found in 13 of them, confirming its unequivocal presence by mass spectrometry.