Robustness of the Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole LC/MS for Routine Analysis in Food Safety

Significance of the Topic

Quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in food is essential for consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Robust and reproducible methods are needed to handle complex matrices and high sample throughput in routine food safety laboratories.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluates the long-term stability and robustness of the Agilent 1290 Infinity II LC coupled with the Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole LC/MS for routine pesticide analysis. The focus is on sustained performance over a five-day continuous sequence of 1,500 avocado extract injections spiked with target pesticides.

Methodology

Sample extracts were prepared from avocado using EN 15662 QuEChERS and lipid cleanup kits, followed by dilution and spiking with calibrated pesticide standards. Calibration curves covered 5 to 100 ng/g levels with quality control samples at 10, 15, and 20 ng/g. Data acquisition and quantitation were performed using Agilent MassHunter software with MRM mode.

Instrumental Setup

• LC System Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC with high speed pump, multisampler, and column thermostat
• Analytical column Agilent Poroshell EC-C18, 2.1 x 50 mm, 2.7 µm with guard column
• Mobile phase 0.1 percent formic acid in water and acetonitrile, flow rate 0.6 mL/min, gradient elution
• MS System Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole with Jet Stream ESI source operated in positive ion mode
• Parameters: gas and sheath temperatures 300 and 400 degrees Celsius, gas flows 11 and 12 L/min, MRM scan with unit resolution

Results and Discussion

MRM peak area precision remained below 5 percent RSD over 1,500 injections for key analytes at 20 ng/g, with calculated concentrations exhibiting similar or improved reproducibility. Calibration curves maintained linearity with R2 values above 0.99 across early and late sequence groups. Quality control levels at 10, 15, and 20 ng/g showed average concentration RSD values below 3.1 percent over all injections, demonstrating exceptional stability and quantitation consistency.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The compact Ultivo LC/MS delivers high-throughput pesticide quantitation with minimal maintenance and reduced user intervention. Its reliable performance supports daily food safety monitoring, regulatory compliance, and efficient laboratory workflows, even for nonexpert mass spectrometry users.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Advances may include integration of automated sample preparation, expansion to ultra-high sensitivity high-resolution platforms, real-time data analytics using AI for trend detection, and broader adoption for multi-residue screening in diverse food matrices.

Conclusion

The Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole LC/MS, combined with the 1290 Infinity II UHPLC, offers robust, reproducible pesticide analysis over extended sequences. Its stable MRM response, reliable quantitation, and streamlined operation make it a valuable tool for routine food safety testing.

References

1. Agilent Technologies Application Note 5991-8004 A Robustness Study for the Agilent 6470 LC-MS/MS Mass Spectrometer
2. Agilent Technologies Application Note 5991-5953 Robustness of an Agilent 6470 Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer for Analysis of Pharmaceuticals in Plasma Matrices