QuEChERS-based method for the determination of carbamate residues in aromatic herbs by UHPLC-MS/MS

• Twenty-eight carbamates in aromatic herbs by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis.
• Development of QuEChERS as cheap and efficient method for extraction and clean up.
• Trueness of the method in parsley, basil, mint, thyme and salvia.
• LOQs below 3.4 μg kg−1 and recoveries between 60 and 125%.
• Occurrence study in different fresh aromatic herbs from Spain and Cameroon.

A new reliable, fast and highly sensitive method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and validated for the determination of 28 carbamates in aromatic herbs. A modified QuEChERS-based method was optimized for the extraction of carbamate residues from a wide variety of fresh herbal products. The proposed method allowed recoveries higher than 72%, achieving quantification limits of 2 μg kg−1, therefore below maximum residue limits established for this type of samples. The combination of QuEChERS with UHPLC-MS/MS introduces a high-throughput methodology for the monitoring of these residues in this type of matrices scarcely explored. The analysis of the real samples revealed that several samples sold in the European Union and in the North West region of Cameroon contain pesticides in concentrations below the maximum residue limits.