Non-target screening of co-formulants in difenoconazole-based plant protection products by LC-Q-Orbitrap

Abstract

Difenoconazole is an approved triazole fungicide used in a broad range of crops. It is applied in the form of plant protection products (PPPs), which are a mixture of the pesticide and several co- formulants that define the properties of the blend. Nonetheless, these co-formulants are not disclosed by the manufacturers, and because of it, they remain unmonitored. The present study focused on the comprehensive analytical determination of polar co-formulants in 15 difenoconazole-based PPPs by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to Q-Exactive Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS). Data for non-target analysis were acquired in both Full Scan MS and data-dependent acquisition (ddMS2) modes. Identified compounds mostly included anionic and non-ionic surfactants, predominantly linear alkyl ethoxylates and alkylbenzene sulfonates, although certain emulsifiers, stabilisers, preservatives, and other compounds were also detected. Confirmation and quantification of several compounds was then carried out with available analytical standards.