AutoMate-Q40 QuEChERs Platform

Abstract: 
The Teledyne Tekmar AutoMate Q-40 is a robotic system designed to optimize and automate the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) sample preparation workflow. The performance of this system was evaluated in comparison to a manual sample preparation workflow using the AOAC 2007.01 unbuffered QuEChERS methodology where all samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Matrices used in this study were cabbage, valencia orange, raisin and purple corn flour. A Restek LC Multiresidue Standards Kit for Pesticide Analysis, Teledyne Tekmar QuEChERS extractions salts and C18/PSA dSPE cleanup and an ABSciex Qtrap 5500 mass spectrometer were also employed. LC parameters included the use of a Restek Ultra-Aqueous C18 Column (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 3 μm), 10 mM NH4HCO2 buffer (A: water, B: methanol) with 0.1% formic acid, 0.5 mL/min flow rate with 5 μL sample injection and MS/MS parameters were optimized individually. Results were determined for the instrument (limit of detection, limit of quantitation and linearity) and method (method detection limit, recoveries, relative standard error) and will be compared to determine the statistical differences (if any).

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