Fast and robust direct immersion solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry method employing a matrix compatible fiber for determination of triazole fungicides in fruits

• A fast and robust DI-SPME–GC–ToFMS method for determination of triazole pesticides in fruits was developed.
• A newly developed matrix-compatible SPME coating was utilized.
• No sample pre-treatment required.
• Very good sensitivity achieved within short extraction time.
• Accurate quantitative results could be easily achieved.

A fast and robust method was developed for the determination of ten triazole fungicides in fruit samples using direct immersion solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection (DI-SPME–GC–ToFMS). In this work, a newly developed concept of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbent, which allows for direct immersion extraction in complex food matrices, has been applied in the analysis of 10 triazole fungicides in grapes and strawberries pulps. Potential factors affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized, including extraction temperature, sample pH, and ionic strength, agitation speed, extraction and desorption times. Under optimized conditions, the method was linear for over 4 orders of magnitude in concentration, with linear regression coefficients (R2) greater than 0.99 for all test compounds in both matrices. Method reproducibility, as determined by analysis of spiked grapes and strawberries, was better than ±20%. The limits of quantitation objective (LOQs) ranged from 0.25 to 5 ng g−1 for both matrices, well below the maximum residues levels allowed for those compounds in both matrices. The method was successfully applied in the analysis of commercial samples of grapes and strawberries. Finally, the new SPME method was compared to a modified version of t QuEChERS AOAC method: the limits of quantitation reached by SPME were at least one order of magnitude lower than those achieved by the QuEChERS method, whereas precision and accuracy were comparable for both methods.