Pollinator health studies involve the collection and analysis of pollen and nectar from target agricultural crops to determine the magnitude of residues. Common to these sample matrices are the extremely small sample sizes. Pollen and nectar samples collected from plants are commonly less than 100 mg in mass, and the entire field sample is typically extracted. Study requirements for limit of quantitation and detection are also very low (&lt;1 ppb). Small sample size and low LOQ/LOD requirements present challenges in the analytical laboratory. However, these matrices lend themselves well to the application of high-throughput sample preparation techniques. This presentation will detail the evolution of the method procedures that were developed to increase the number of samples processed in a day and the modifications to accurately analyze samples as small as 5 mg. Data for a representative neonicotinoid insecticide, thiamethoxam, and its major metabolite clothianidin will be presented. Utilization of these techniques will help laboratories meet the throughput requirements for the ever increasing number of pollinator health studies to be conducted in the near future.

Laboratory challenges associated with small sample size and matrix suppression in nectar and pollen analysis

256th National Meeting (2018)

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