Perspectives on Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Pesticide Screening in Foods

This perspective discusses the use
of liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry
(LC–HRMS) for multiresidue analysis of pesticides in foods
and agricultural commodities. HRMS has the important distinction and
advantage of mass-resolving power and, therefore, requires different
concepts, experiments, and guidance for screening, identification,
and quantitation of pesticides in complex food matrices over triple
quadrupole mass spectrometry. HRMS approaches for pesticide screening,
including full-scan experiments in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry
(MS/MS) experiments, are described. This approach results in the generation
of chromatographic retention times and high-resolution mass spectra
with accurate mass measurements that can be used to create compound
databases. New data processing tools can create an efficient and optimized
screening approach that can speed the analysis and identification
of compounds, reduce the need for chemical standards, and harmonize
pesticide analytical procedures.