Selection of representative matrices for the multiresidue analysis of pesticides in tea by GC-MS/MS

The matrix effect (ME) is a major issue in pesticide residue analysis. The present work evaluated the MEs for 205 pesticides in 28 different tea samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Most of the pesticides presented medium and strong enhancement effects in the tea samples. The paper grouped 28 tea samples into 3 types based on the MEs for 205 pesticides using the Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), allowing the selection of representative matrices for pesticide determination in different kinds of tea. The recovery study achieved an agreement with the above grouping.