Quantitative Analysis of Pyrethroids in Soil Using Triple Quadrupole LC-MS/MS

Pyrethroids are insecticides used worldwide for both household and farming applications. Pyrethroids have limited water solubility and are easily adsorbed in soil. Recently, it has been reported that pyrethroids remain in the soil and sediment in farming and urban regions for long periods. Although pyrethroids are not particularly harmful for humans, they are very toxic for insects and water creatures and their influence on the ecosystem is a big concern. There is a demand for new methodology that enables measurement of pyrethroids in soil and sediment with high sensitivity and throughput.
Traditionally, pyrethroids are measured by Gas Chromatography with or without mass spectrometry. Here, we report a method using LC-MS/MS to show that LC-MS/MS can measure these compounds traditionally analyzed by GC. This report illustrates a simultaneous analysis of 15 pyrethroids using the Shimadzu UFMS Triple Quadrupole LCMS-8050 with ultrafast polarity switching. The polarity switching speed of the LCMS-8050 is just 5 milliseconds under any conditions.
Combined with the Nexera X2, the LCMS-8050 provides much faster run times without sacrificing the quality of results.