Development, validation, and use of a monitoring method for fipronil and its metabolites in chicken eggs by QuEChERS with online‐SPE‐LC‐Q/Orbitrap analysis

Abstract

RationaleThe residues of fipronil and its metabolites in chicken eggs pose a threat to human health, so regular monitoring is necessary. However, the pretreatments of the existing detection methods are complex and time‐consuming. A simple and streamlined pretreatment method is needed to improve the detection efficiency.MethodA rapid, efficient, and facile approach employing the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method with online solid‐phase extraction liquid chromatography tandem Q Exactive Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (online‐SPE‐LC‐HRMS) was established and evaluated for the determination of fipronil, fipronil‐desulfinyl, fipronil‐sulfone, and fipronil‐sulfide in chicken eggs. An improved sample preparation technique combining QuEChERS and online‐SPE was developed. Negative targeted ion fragmentation scanning and targeted‐selected ion monitoring of HRMS were adopted to identify and quantify the target analytes.ResultsThe proposed pretreatment method took a few steps in <13 min to achieve excellent recoveries and negligible interference. High selectivity was acquired with the adoption of Q/Orbitrap HRMS. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the analytes was 2.5 μg kg−1, meeting the detection requirements of the maximum residue level enacted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Japan, and the United States for the sum of fipronil and its metabolites. Extraction recoveries at three spiked concentration levels were within 84.56% to 93.84%, with relative standard deviation ≤5.87%.ConclusionThe established method is efficient and easy to operate and displays satisfactory LOQs, recoveries, accuracy, and precision. This approach serves as a reference method for monitoring eggs while providing potential solutions for fipronil determination in more complicated matrices.