Abstract
The significance of sample grinding is frequently disregarded during the development of analytical methods, which are often validated with spiked samples that may not accurately reflect incurred residues. This study investigated the particle size of ground beans as a key factor in optimizing extraction efficiency in order to develop a simple quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based modified method for identifying 380 pesticides in beans using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The efficacy of pesticide extraction was found to be significantly affected by particle size. With small particle sizes (>40 mesh), no supernatant was recovered after QuEChERS partitioning. Therefore, a simple modification was performed before partitioning. The modified method was validated for selective extraction of pesticides, limits of quantification, linearity, accuracy, and precision. This method is simple to implement and, therefore, useful for the analysis of pesticide residues in beans.