A modified sample preparation strategy combined with UHPLC-MS/MS for simultaneous determination of 147 pesticides and related compounds in vegetables and fruits

In this study, a modified approach was described for a simultaneous determination of 147 pesticides and related compounds in vegetables and fruits using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The environmentally friendly sample preparation approach consisted of simultaneous extraction of 147 targets with a low dose (2 mL) of ethanol and purification by solid phase extraction. The validation results demonstrated a good linear relationship within the range of 0.002–1 mg/L with a coefficient of determination (R 2 > 0.99), high sensitivity (0.2–1.0 μg/L for limits of quantification, 0.067–0.33 μg/L for limits of detection and 0.002 mg/kg for method limits of quantification), excellent recoveries (70–119 %), and good precision (RSDs≤19 %). Finally, method comparison and a survey of 54 field samples confirmed that the proposed method was simple, environmentally friendly, and suitable for pesticide multi-residue analysis, which was a good supplement for multi-residue analytical method. • A modified method was developed for simultaneously analyze 147 target compounds. • An efficient extraction procedure is proposed using green ethanolic solvent. • The method is accurate, precise and meets validation requirements by guidelines. • Method comparation was conducted to assess the analytical performance. • This method was successfully applied in 4 vegetables and 5 fruits.