Multiresidue pesticide analysis in Korean ginseng by gas chromatography–triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

In this study, a new analytical method was developed based on gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) and used to determine 32 multiclass pesticides in ginseng products. The analytical method was validated, yielding recovery rates in the range of 55.2–108.3%, with precision values expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) lower or equal to 12% at the spiking levels of 30, 100, and 1000 μg/kg. Correlation coefficients and LOQs (limit of quantification) were in the range 0.9801–0.9989 and 0.15–70 g/kg, respectively. With these validation data and this method, multiresidue pesticides of ginseng samples (fresh ginseng (n = 118), red ginseng (n = 24), dried ginseng (n = 10)) were analysed. Among them, the most frequently detected pesticide was tolclofos-methyl. Tolclofos-methyl was detected in 86.4% of fresh ginseng (18.25–404.5 μg/kg), 91.7% of red ginseng (13.14–119.4 μg/kg), and 87.5% of dried ginseng (23.15–3673 μg/kg).