Last trends in pesticide residue determination by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

• The recent applications of LC–MS in pesticide residue determination are reviewed.
• Sample-pretreatment methods are presented and commented.
• Extraction, separation, purification and detection of target pesticides are outlined.
• Valuable information on non-target and unknown pesticides by LC–MS/MS is covered.
• Outlook for future applications of LC–MS is also discussed.

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) is as an excellent analytical tool in the determination of pesticides. Multiresidue analysis of these compounds at trace levels is one of the oldest analytical schemes within environmental and food safety. However, the issue of “pesticide residue determination” is still a hot topic for the analytical community. This review discusses current approaches and recent advances in using LC–MS for pesticide identification and quantification. We outline how MS has influenced the sample preparation process. We critically assess and compare various mass spectrometers, highlighting their strengths and limitations. We, then, review the main applications of LC–MS in pesticide residue determination in the past three years. We also look at the implications for the future of the field.