Fluoroquinolone residues in compost by green enhanced microwave-assisted extraction followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

• Fluoroquinolones are determined in compost by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE).
• Alkaline aqueous Mg2+ is used as the extraction medium avoiding any organic solvent.
• Quantitative absolute recovery is gained by a single MAE cycle (20 min, 135 °C).
• Fluoroquinolones are quantified and confirmed by UPLC–MS (SRM mode).
• Fluoroquinolones concentrations up to 88 ng g−1 are found in actual compost samples.

A novel, simple and straightforward method for determination of fluoroquinolones (FQs) in compost has been developed. The procedure entails a low-pressurized microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) carried out by a high performance instrument, in alkaline aqueous solution containing magnesium ions as FQs complexing agent, followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS). Ciprofloxacin (CIP), Enrofloxacin (ENR), Levofloxacin (LEV) and Norfloxacin (NOR), four widely used FQ antibiotics, were simultaneously extracted from compost by a single MAE cycle (20 min, 135 °C). The method was validated in terms of linearity, selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy. Quantitative absolute recovery (70–112%, n = 3) and suitable precision (RSD < 15%, n = 3) were observed, at concentration levels ranging from 25 ng g−1 to 2500 ng g−1. Analytes were separated in a 10 min chromatographic run and quantified/confirmed in single reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. UPLC coupled to SRM-MS detection allowed to achieve improved sensitivity, and selective detection. Method detection and quantification limits, MDLs and MQLs, were in the range 2.2–3.0 ng g−1 and 6.6–9.0 ng g−1, respectively. The high-performance microwave system here used strongly improved the extraction efficiency with respect to a conventional apparatus. The procedure proved to be simpler, less expensive, faster, and more green with respect to the few methods currently described in literature, providing at the same time suitable recovery and reproducibility. The analytical method has been applied to the analysis of actual compost samples, wherein FQs have been quantified at concentrations up to 88 ng g−1.