Chromatographic Method for Monitoring of Pesticide Residues and Risk Assessment for Herbal Decoctions Used in Traditional Korean Medicine Clinics

Abstract

The presence of pesticide residues in herbs and the herbal products derived from them raises serious health concerns. This study was conducted to investigate the residual pesticide concentrations and assess potential human health risks from herbal medicines used in traditional Korean medicine clinics. A total of 40 samples of herbal decoctions were collected from 10 external herbal dispensaries. The pesticide residues were analyzed by the multiresidue method for 320 different pesticides using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). As a result of the monitoring, carbendazim was detected at 0.01 and 0.03 μg/g in eight samples and no pesticide was detected in the other herbal decoctions. Carbendazim was set for each individual item as less than 0.05 μg/g in Paeoniae radix, less than 0.05 μg/g in Cassiae semen, less than 2.0 μg/g in Lycii fructus, and less than 10 μg/g in Schisandrae fructus (dried). Therefore, the results of this study suggested that the detected pesticide residues in herbal decoctions could not be considered as posing a serious health risk.

High-throughput screening and quantification of pesticides in Lilii Bulbus using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

“…The current screening technique commonly employed to address the intricate matrix of Chinese herbal materials and pesticides, with their unique properties, is low-resolution mass spectrometry. 18–21 However, this technique has limitations associated with retention time and scanning speed. To expand the scope of compounds detected, shorter retention times are necessary, but this compromises sensitivity and reproducibility.…”

Inhibitive determination of organophosphate pesticides using acetylcholinesterase and silver nanoparticle as colorimetric probe

“…Pesticide residues are commonly detected using gas chromatography (GC) or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) [4,5]. The weakness of the two analytical methods is the laboratory's extraction and purification treatment, which requires solvents and a longer analysis time, increasing the risk of error.…”

Analysis of Pesticide Residues on Fruit Using Swab Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

“…Most established procedures for quantitative pesticide analysis in food extracts employ GC-MS [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] or LC-MS/MS [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] combined with extensive sample preparation and method optimization to achieve adequate compound separation and to avoid matrix effects. Within the past decade, various ambient ionization mass spectrometric techniques have also been applied to the detection of pesticides in fruit and vegetables.…”