A simple and robust LC-ESI single quadrupole MS-based method to analyze neonicotinoids in honey bee extracts

Over the past years, neonicotinoids such as thiacloprid and flupyradifurone have gained considerable scientific and public interest. These molecules used as active compounds in pesticides are known due to cause drastic negative long-time effects on pollinators and even human health. Therefore, determining trace amounts of neonicotinoid in different environmental matrices by liquid chromatography coupled with mass selective detectors (LC-MS/MS or LC-Q-TOF/MS) has become an important methodology. However, not every scientific group has unlimited access to high-resolution mass-selective detectors (e.g., MS/MS). It becomes more apparent that the analytics of neonicotinoids are already a global issue. Research groups and organizations with a limited financial budget often depend on using cheap and robust equipment to do their analytical work. We demonstrate a single-quadrupole (Q) MS-based method with single-class residue methods (SRMs) for the analysis of neonicotinoids, applicable without the requirement of a high-end MS system. For an adequate sample clean-up strategy, QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Efficient, Rugged, safe) extraction and purification methods were modified and applied to eliminate residual matrix after honey bee extraction steps to analyze thiacloprid and flupyradifurone. •Simple liquid chromatography electro-spray ionization (LC-ESI) single-quadrupole mass selective (MS) method for neonicotinoid analysis.•Efficient sample pretreatment by a modified QuEChERS extraction and purification method.•Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for thiacloprid was 19.72 ng g^-1 and 7.61 ng g^-1, for flupyradifurone 65.73 ng g^-1 and 25.36 ng g^-1, respectively.