Simultaneous determination of neonicotinoids and fipronils in tea using a modified QuEChERS method and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

The widespread use of neonicotinoids (NEOs) and fipronils (FIPs) as insecticides in modern agriculture has been widely investigated because of their adverse effects on human health. This study aimed to develop an accurate quantitative approach to analyze NEOs and FIPs in tea by using a modified QuEChERS method based on dispersive solid-phase extraction procedure coupled with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. To minimize matrix interferences largely, we selected polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) and strong caionic exchange adsorbent (PCX) as dispersive adsorbents to eliminate polyphenols and caffeine from tea extract, respectively. Under optimal conditions, a slight matrix effect was observed for NEOs and FIPs due to the highest reductions of polyphenols and caffeine (94% and 88%, respectively). The method was validated by the European Medicines Agency and Eurachem guidelines and was successfully applied to tea samples for NEOs and FIPs analysis. NEOs and FIPs were commonly detected in tea.