UHPLC-UHRMS and 109AgNPs-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging of pesticide residues in Solanum lycopersicum L.

Pesticide use in agriculture is a controversial topic due to concerns of health and environmental risks. Controlling plant diseases and crop quality with minimal negative impact on human and nature is of utmost importance. In this study ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed for targeted pesticide detection of Solanum lycopersicum L. fruits from three different sources, revealing that the highest abundances of pesticides were present in a tomato from a local marketplace. Mass spectrometry imaging analysis of the most pesticide-affected sample was conducted, resulting in imaging four of the seventeen compounds detected by UHPLC-UHRMS analysis.