The Extraction of Pesticides from Black Tea

Introduction

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the pesticides found in their food. With the emergence of pesticide resistance and the continued development of new pesticides, the list of formally regulated pesticides continues to grow. As pesticides can be toxic depending on their concentration level, it is critical to test for these compounds. Efficient methods to extract these pesticides are needed. Typically, the industry standard for the extraction of pesticides from food is the QuEChERS method. This method includes the tedious addition of salts and sorbents to a sample, manual shaking, and multiple sample transfers, ultimately making it a time-consuming method that generates substantial waste. One extraction can take between 20 to 60 minutes. Thus, innovative improvements to this method are needed.

The EDGE is an automated extraction system that improves upon the traditional QuEChERS method. The EDGE does not require the use of salts/sorbents, which often leave behind residual material that can cause problems on LC-MS and GCMS systems. The EDGE's Q-Cup® technology relieves the need for multiple sample transfers, thus generating less waste. In this application note, the EDGE was used to extract a large panel of pesticides from 2 g of black tea. The EDGE rapidly and efficiently extracted over 140 pesticides with high recoveries (>80%) and acceptable RSDs (<20%). The EDGE extracted, filtered, and cooled the extracts quickly. The EDGE is an ideal alternative method for food testing laboratories seeking to improve their workflow through automation.