QuEChERS

QuEChERS, an acronym for Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe, originated from the USDA in 2003 to enhance fruit and vegetable analysis. Since then, it has evolved into a versatile method embraced across various agricultural domains. It simplifies sample preparation, broadening the spectrum of detectable compounds, including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, and others found throughout the entire food supply chain.

QuEChERS applicability has expanded beyond fruits and vegetables; it is now applied across diverse matrices, including animal products like meat, fish, and milk, as well as cereals, grains, wines, juices, and beyond.

At its core, QuEChERS entails three simple steps: liquid micro-extraction, solid-phase clean-up, and subsequent analysis via LC/MS/MS or GC/MS. This efficient process dramatically enhances laboratory productivity, enabling a single analyst to process a batch of 20 extracts in under 60 minutes, utilizing minimal solvent.

Furthermore, QuEChERS consistently delivers outstanding results, achieving recoveries of 90-110% with RSDs (Relative Standard Deviations) below 5% for a wide array of GC and LC amenable compounds.

  Extraction Reagents and Their Function
Magnesium Sulfate:

• Functions as a partitioning aid in extraction.
• Acts as a desiccant during clean-up.

Sodium citrate dibasic sesquihydrate/sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate:

• Buffers extraction to prevent the breakdown of pH-sensitive analytes.
• Eliminates the need for acetic acid.

Sodium Chloride:

• Assists in “salting out” polar analytes.

Clean-up Reagents and Their Function:
Primary Secondary Amine (PSA):

• Used in clean-up to reduce levels of organic acids, sterols, some sugars, and lipids.

C18:

• Removes sugars, fatty acids, organic acids, lipids, and some pigments during clean-up. When combined with C18, additional lipids and sterols can be removed.

Graphitize Carbon Black:

• Utilized in clean-up to eliminate pigments and polyphenols.

ChloroFiltr:

• A specialized product developed by UCT to remove chlorophyll from acetonitrile extracts without sacrificing polar aromatic pesticides.

Formats Available:

• Polypropylene Centrifuge Tubes: Pre-packed with QuEChERS extraction salts.
• Mylar Pouches: Convenient single-use pouches containing QuEChERS extraction salts.
• Multi-Packs: Combining pre-packed Mylar pouches with empty centrifuge tubes for convenience.
• SpinFiltr®: SpinFiltr® combines conventional dSPE with the added benefit of ultrafiltration. dSPE salts paired with a 0.2µm filtration device remove unwanted matrix compounds and filter samples without additional steps.
• Push-Thru Cartridges: These cartridges, available in small, medium, and large sizes, provide quick and efficient sample clean-up without the need for shaking or centrifugation. Simply draw the sample extract into a syringe, push it through the cartridge into an autosampler vial, and your sample is ready for analysis.

UCT’s distinctive sorbent chemistries: ChloroFiltr®: An exclusive polymeric sorbent from UCT, ChloroFiltr® replaces graphitized carbon black (GCB) for efficiently removing chlorophyll without compromising planar analytes.
LipiFiltr®: Effectively removes lipids from acetonitrile extracts. By simply pushing samples through the cartridge using a disposable syringe, LipiFiltr® facilitates purification, yielding cleaner extracts for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. Its user-friendly design and cost-effective cleanup make LipiFiltr® an excellent choice for pesticide residue analysis in fatty samples.
Glyphosate Purification Cartridges: Specifically designed to remove organic material and surfactants hindering chromatographic analysis for glyphosate and glufosinate. These cartridges simplify the removal of unwanted matrix interferences, ensuring optimal ionization without additional steps.