A multiresidue analytical method for the detection of seven triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide herbicides in cereals, soybean and soil using the modified QuEChERS method and UHPLC-MS/MS

Abstract

The combined use of modified QuEChERS extraction and ultra high-performance chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for determining all seven triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide herbicides in cereals (wheat, rice, and corn), soybean and soil was developed. The seven herbicides (metosulam, flumetsulam, pyroxsulam, florasulam, diclosulam, cloransulam-methyl and penoxsulam) were extracted using acetonitrile from five matrices, and then cleaned up using octadecylsilane or Florisil prior to UHPLC-MS/MS. The method has excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.996). The average recoveries in wheat, rice, corn, soybean and soil at three spiked concentrations (0.005, 0.010 and 0.10 mg kg⁻¹) ranged from 73.8% to 113.2% with all RSD values less than 17.5%. The LOQs for seven herbicides were 0.005 mg kg⁻¹ in cereals, soybean and soil. This method has been demonstrated to be reliable and convenient for monitoring triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide herbicides.