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Development and Validation of a Novel Method Using QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS-MS for the Determination of Multiple Emerging Fungicides in Surface Waters

Authors :
Pulasthi Serasinghe
Deni Taleski
Hao T. K. Nguyen
Dayanthi Nugegoda
Vincent Pettigrove
Source :
Separations, Vol 11, Iss 10, p 279 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

The increasing global reliance on pesticides for agricultural pest control has raised significant environmental concerns, particularly due to inadequate monitoring of emerging chemicals in surface waters. This study addresses the potential contamination of aquatic ecosystems by developing and validating a method for detecting trace amounts of four recently registered fungicides: three succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (fluopyram, penthiopyrad, pydiflumetofen) and fluopicolide, a structurally related fungicide. Employing QuEChERS-based sample extraction combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-MS-MS), this method achieves detection limits of 0.1 to 0.2 μg/L, with recovery rates between 90% and 110%, and intra-day relative standard deviation values well within the acceptable range of less than 20%. Applied to surface grab water samples from the greater Melbourne area, Australia, the method successfully identified all four fungicides at trace levels, including a notable high concentration of fluopyram (7.3 μg/L) during autumn, with the others intermittently detected at lower concentrations. This study represents the first documented instance of quantifiable detections of these four fungicides in Australian surface water systems. Given their high toxicity to several organisms and the limited global data on these substances, our findings underscore the critical need for continuous monitoring to inform strategies to safeguard aquatic ecosystems from these chemicals.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
22978739
Volume :
11
Issue :
10
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Separations
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f6f5dac5cd1b4ea99d7d31dfeafcb6ba
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/separations11100279