Assessment of Residuality of Hymexazol in Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) Crop by a Modified QuEChERS Method and Liquid Chromatography Tandem-Mass Spectrometry

Hymexazol (HYM) is an active ingredient commonly used in a wide variety of crops; however, to date, there are no publications on its dissipation and residuality in strawberry fruits and leaves. The objective of the research was to evaluate the dissipation and residuality of hymexazol in strawberry using a modified QuEChERS method with UHPLC-ESI/MS-MS. For this, several validation experiments using the chromatographic method were conducted. The strawberry crop was established in the field, and the content of the HYM was monitored through several applications. The method showed good linearity (correlation coefficients > 0.9995), accuracy (recoveries in 73.7-109.4%), and sensitivity (limits of quantification 0.017 mg kg(-1)). Despite the two and four drench-treatments of HYM in the strawberry crop, the compound was not detected at levels above the LOD 24 and 48 h after the last treatment. This is due to various plants metabolizing hymexazol to glucose conjugates of its tautomers, i.e., its O-glucoside and N-glucoside, probably with low or null movement to the aerial parts and fruits of the crop.