Development and validation of a highly sensitive method for the analysis of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) in plant-based food and beverages

Recently, concerns have been raised over succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides and their potential adverse effects on the environment and nontarget organisms including humans. Appropriate analysis methods are thus necessary for their proper risk assessment. Here, a highly sensitive method based on QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of 12 SDHIs and seven of their metabolites in beverages, fruits and vegetables. The method displayed linearity over more than three orders of magnitude, precision with RSD <20 % and recoveries between 70 and 120 % for all compounds, ensuring robustness across a wide concentration range. Limits of quantification as low as 0.003-0.3 ng/g depending on the matrix and analytes were reached. The method was applied to 28 representative samples of fruits, vegetable, fruit juices, wine and water samples. The results illustrate the reliability of this method for the quantification of SDHI fungicides in a variety of foodstuff matrices.