UPLC/MS/MS System Supports Registration Process for New Pesticides for Agricultural Use

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has purchased a Waters® ACQUITY UPLC®/Xevo™ TQ Mass Spectrometry System for its Environmental Science Center’s Analytical Chemistry Laboratory in Fort Meade, Md. The laboratory provides the EPA with scientific, laboratory, and technical support services for registering and evaluating new pesticides intended for use in the United States. The laboratory is also responsible for developing new, multi-residue analytical methods for specific classes of pesticides and their metabolites in foods and feeds. The new methods are designed to gather more pesticide residue data at lower levels in support of the EPA’s mission to protect people and the environment.

EPA scientists chose the Waters UPLC/MS/MS System based on the need for an easy-to-use instrument capable of efficient, accurate, and precise measurement of concentrations of pesticides and their degradation products at single-part-per-billion limits of detection.

Pesticides must be registered or exempted by EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs before they may be sold or distributed in the U.S. Pesticide registration is the process through which EPA examines the ingredients of a pesticide; the site or crop on which it is to be used; the amount, frequency and timing of its use; and storage and disposal practices. EPA evaluates the pesticide to ensure that it will not have unreasonable adverse effects on humans, the environment and non-target species.

Waters Xevo TQ MS is equipped with IntelliStart™ Software that automates the setup and tuning of the MS hardware, an operator-friendly feature that performs functions that once had to be performed manually. Its ScanWave collision cell technology improves duty cycle efficiency and results in spectra with greater ion signal intensities thereby enhancing the sensitivity of the analysis. Finally, the Xevo TQ’s Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode of operation improves the ability of the mass spectrometer to measure accurately and precisely large numbers of target analytes in a variety of food matrices at concentrations well below the limits of determination required for surveillance monitoring.

For more information about Waters ACQUITY UltraPerformance LC products, visit www.waters.com/uplc  and for information on Waters new Xevo family of mass spectrometers, please visit www.waters.com/xevo.