scholarly journals Screening for More than 1,000 Pesticides and Environmental Contaminants in Cannabis by GC/Q-TOF

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Philip L. Wylie ◽  
Jessica Westland ◽  
Mei Wang ◽  
Mohamed M. Radwan ◽  
Chandrani G. Majumdar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Retention Time ◽  
Mass Spectra ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Extraction Procedure ◽  
Accurate Mass ◽  
Exact Mass ◽  
High Resolution Accurate Mass

A method has been developed to screen cannabis extracts for more than 1,000 pesticides and environmental pollutants using a gas chromatograph coupled to a high-resolution accurate mass quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC/Q-TOF). An extraction procedure was developed using acetonitrile with solid phase extraction cleanup. Before analysis, extracts were diluted 125:1 with solvent. Two data mining approaches were used together with a retention-time-locked Personal Compound Database and Library (PCDL) containing high-resolution accurate mass spectra for pesticides and other environmental pollutants. (1) A Find-by-Fragments (FbF) software tool extracts several characteristic exact mass ions within a small retention time window where the compound elutes. For each compound in the PCDL, the software evaluates the peak shape and retention time of each ion as well as the monoisotopic exact mass, ion ratios, and other factors to decide if the compound is present or not. (2) A separate approach used Unknowns Analysis (UA) software with a peak-finding algorithm called SureMass to deconvolute peaks in the chromatogram. The accurate mass spectra were searched against the PCDL using spectral matching and retention time as filters. A subset PCDL was generated containing only pesticides that are most likely to be found on foods in the US. With about 250 compounds in the smaller PCDL, there were fewer hits for non-pesticides, and data review was much faster. Organically grown cannabis was used for method development. Twenty-one confiscated cannabis samples were analyzed and ten were found to have no detectable pesticides. The remaining 11 samples had at least one pesticide and one sample had seven detectable residues. Quantitative analysis was run on the confiscated samples for a subset of the pesticides found by screening. Two cannabis samples had residues of carbaryl and malathion that were estimated to be about 10 times greater than the highest US Environmental Protection Agency tolerance set for food and about 4,000 times greater than the Canadian maximum residue limits for dried cannabis flower.

Analysis of Squalene and Its Transformation By-Products in Latent Fingermarks by Ultrahigh-Pressure Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Accurate Mass Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometry

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buddhika Dorakumbura ◽  
Francesco Busetti ◽  
Simon Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Ultrahigh Pressure ◽  
Accurate Mass ◽  
Rational Approach ◽  
By Products ◽  
Over Time ◽  
High Resolution Accurate Mass

<p>Transformation of squalene and its by-products in fingermarks over time under different storage conditions (light, dark and underwater) was examined through ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography high resolution accurate mass Orbitrap™ mass spectrometry. Complications of assessing fingermark compositional variation over time using multiple samples with varying initial compositions were elucidated and a more rational approach was successfully demonstrated. Squalene was detected in all fresh natural fingermarks and the amount ranged between 0.20 to 11.32 μg/5 fingertips. A notable difference in the transformation of squalene was observed with different storage conditions, where a dark aquatic environment accelerated degradation of squalene compared to dark but dry conditions. Squalene monohydroperoxide was extremely short-lived in natural deposits while the amount of squalene epoxide was still increasing relative to the initial amount, after ageing under dark and aquatic conditions for up to 7 days. Some oxidation by-products of cholesterol were also tentatively identified, which exhibited a growth over time against their initial concentration under any of the storage condition tested. These by-products, therefore, show potential as biomarkers for targeted visualisation of aged deposits.</p>

Bioanalytical method development and validation of simultaneous analysis of telmisartan and hydrochlorthiazide in human plasma using LC-MS/MS

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (03) ◽  
pp. 4862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew George* ◽  
Lincy Joseph ◽  
Arpit Kumar Jain ◽  
Anju V.
Keyword(s):  
Human Plasma ◽  
Retention Time ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Matrix Effects ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Internal Standard ◽  
Assay Method ◽  
Buffer System ◽  
Internal Standards

A simple, sensitive, rapid and economic high performance thin layer chromatographic method and a mass spectroscopic assay method has been developed for the quantification of telmisartan and hydrochlorthiazide combination in human plasma. The internal standards and analytes were extracted from human plasma by solid-phase extraction with HLB Oasis1cc (30mg) catridges. The scanning and optimization for the samples are done using methanol: water (50:50). The samples were chromatographed using reverse phase chromatography with C-18 column of different manufacturers like Ascentis C18 (150×4. 6, 5µ) using the buffer system Acetonitrile: Buffer (80:20%v/v) which consist of 2±0. 1Mm ammonium format at a flow rate of 0. 7ml/min at a column oven temperature 35±10c. The internal standard used was hydrochlorthiazide13c1, d2 and telmisartand3. The extraction techniques include conditioning, loading, washing and elution, drying followed by reconstitution of the dried samples. The volume injected was 10µl with the retention time of 3-4 min for telmisartan, 1-2 min for hydrochlorthiazide and for the internal standards the retention time was 3-4 min for telmisartand3 and 1-2 min for hydrochlorthiazide c13d2. The rinsing solution was Acetonitrile: HPLC grade water in the ratio (50:50). The above developed method was validated using various parameters like selectivity and sensitivity, accuracy and precision, matrix effects, % recovery and various stability studies. The method was proved to be sensitive, accurate, precise and reproducible. The preparation showed high recovery for the quantitative determination of telmisartan and hydrochlorthiazide in human plasma.

scholarly journals Development of UHPLC/Q-TOF Analysis Method to Screen Glycerin for Direct Detection of Process Contaminants 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol Esters (3-MCPDEs) and Glycidyl Esters (GEs)

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2449
Author(s):  
Lauren Girard ◽  
Kithsiri Herath ◽  
Hernando Escobar ◽  
Renate Reimschuessel ◽  
Olgica Ceric ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Failure ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Extraction Procedure ◽  
Biodiesel Production ◽  
Food Contaminants ◽  
Exact Mass ◽  
Glycidyl Esters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA′s) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has been investigating reports of pets becoming ill after consuming jerky pet treats since 2007. Renal failure accounted for 30% of reported cases. Jerky pet treats contain glycerin, which can be made from vegetable oil or as a byproduct of biodiesel production. Glycidyl esters (GEs) and 3-monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDEs) are food contaminants that can form in glycerin during the refining process. 3-MCPDEs and GEs pose food safety concerns, as they can release free 3-MCPD and glycidol in vivo. Evidence from studies in animals shows that 3-MCPDEs are potential toxins with kidneys as their main target. As renal failure accounted for 30% of reported pet illnesses after the consumption of jerky pet treats containing glycerin, there is a need to develop a screening method to detect 3-MCPDEs and GEs in glycerin. We describe the development of an ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC/Q-TOF) method for screening glycerin for MCPDEs and GEs. Glycerin was extracted and directly analyzed without a solid-phase extraction procedure. An exact mass database, developed in-house, of MCPDEs and GEs formed with common fatty acids was used in the screening.

scholarly journals Non-targeted Screening of Commercial CBD Products in the United States Reveals Common Contamination and Adulteration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Orsburn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Data ◽  
Accurate Mass ◽  
Targeted Screening ◽  
Accurate Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
High Resolution Accurate Mass

AbstractThe production of hemp and products derived from these plants that contain zero to trace amounts of the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) is a rapidly growing new market in the United States. The most common products today contain relatively high concentrations of the compound cannabidiol (CBD). Recent studies have investigated commercial CBD products using targeted assays and have found varying degrees of misrepresentation and contamination of these products. To expand on previous studies, we demonstrate the application of non-targeted screening by high resolution accurate mass spectrometry to more comprehensively identify potential adulterants and contaminants. We find evidence to support previous conclusions that CBD products are commonly misrepresented in terms of cannabinoid concentrations present. Specifically, we observe a wide variation in relative THC concentrations across the product tested, with some products containing 10-fold more relative signal than others. In addition, we find that several products appear to be purposely adulterated with over the counter drugs such as caffeine and melatonin. We also observe multiple small molecule contaminants that are typically linked to improper production or packaging methods in food or pharmaceutical production. Finally, we present high resolution accurate mass spectrometry data and tandem MS/MS fragments supporting the presence of trace amounts of fluorofentanyl in a single mail order CBD product. We conclude that the CBD industry would benefit from more robust testing regulations and that the cannabis testing industry, in general, would benefit from the use of non-targeted screening technologies.

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