Fast neonicotinoid quantification in honey using the one-point internal calibration approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Neonicotinoids are widely used insecticides posing risks to biodiversity.
• Accurate analytical methods are essential for evaluating neonicotinoid environmental impacts.
• Calibration techniques are critical for reliable pesticide quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare internal calibration (IC) with external calibration (EC) for quantifying neonicotinoids in honey.
• To assess the performance of IC using a single stable isotope-labeled standard (SIL).
• To determine the suitability of IC for routine pesticide analysis.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of six neonicotinoids in honey using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
• Comparison of single-point internal calibration (IC) with multipoint external calibration (EC).
• Validation of IC performance regarding trueness and precision.

Main Results:

• Internal calibration (IC) demonstrated acceptable trueness (86.3%–116.0%) and precision (1.4%–20.8%).
• Slight biases were noted with IC at very low neonicotinoid concentrations compared to EC.
• Both methods showed strong agreement (R² > 0.998) in 32 honey samples, with proportional biases under 5%.

Conclusions:

• Internal calibration (IC) is a viable and simpler alternative to external calibration (EC) for neonicotinoid quantification in honey.
• IC can streamline pesticide residue analysis in complex matrices like honey.
• The findings support the implementation of IC in LC-MS pesticide applications.