Determination of pesticides and Pharmaceuticals from Fish Cultivation Water by parallel solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS)

AbstractA screening method for multiple classes of pesticides and pharmaceuticals from fish cultivation water was established using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Parallel solid-phase extraction (SPE) with different adsorbents was selected for extracting and purifying analytes with different properties. This method allowed for efficient and economical screening of a virtually unlimited number of compounds without reference standards. In order to evaluate the feasibility of this method, 25 pesticides and pharmaceuticals with different properties were selected. The screening detection limit of this method was 0.015 µg L−1, which was lower than the maximum residue limits. This value showed that the method was suitable for screening organic contaminants in fish cultivation water. In a simulation experiment, the organic contaminants with high intensity (atrazine and carbendazim) were identified by retention time, accurate mass, isotopic pattern, and t...