Application of silanized melamine sponges in matrix purification for rapid analysis of multiple pesticides and veterinary drugs in honey by UPLC-MS/MS

In this study, a modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) method based on two kinds of silanized melamine sponges coupled with ultra-high liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) were developed for the determination of multiple pesticides and veterinary drugs in honey. Quick and convenient matrix separation could be achieved with the developed silanized melamine sponges by simply soaking and squeezing. At three spiked levels, all recoveries of the monitored drugs ranged from 63.6% to 114.8%, with relative standard deviations less than 17.7%. No significant matrix influence was observed with matrix effects within −13.9%∼+15.1% for all monitored drugs. Good linearity with correlation coefficient (R 2 ) ≥0.991 was obtained in the range of 0.08–100 μg kg −1 for most drugs. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.04 to 3.6 μg⋅kg −1 and from 0.08 to 9.8 μg⋅kg −1 , respectively. The results had shown the satisfactory matrix purification performance of silanized melamine sponges and indicated its good application prospect in the multiple determination of pesticides and veterinary drugs in various foods.