Application of liquid chromatography atmospheric-pressure chemical-ionization mass spectrometry to pesticide analysis

An application of high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry for pesticides analysis is discussed. 21 types of organophosphorus and 8 types of N-methylcarbamate pesticides were selected for in this study. We monitored both positive and negative ions to identify 21 organophosphorus pesticides. However, 8 N-methylcarbamate pesticides were detectable only with the positive ion measurement mode. Although the mass spectra obtained from this method showed a simpler pattern than those obtained with an electron impact method, those mass spectra were distinct enough to identify unknown peaks on the chromatogram. Because of the high specificity of this method, quick analysis could be performed with an extremely simple pre-treatment process. We suggest that this measurement method can be an extremely powerful means of pesticide analysis.