A Glance at QuEChERS

QuEChERS is an extraction method for pesticides in fruits and vegetables. It is also a cleanup method we use to remove sugars, lipids, organic acids, proteins, pigments, and excess water. After the publication of the original QuEChERS method in 2003, QuEChERS has been practiced all around the world. And nowadays, it is labeled as the most sample preparation in pesticide residue analysis.

The QuEChERS procedure involves simple analytical steps. It is fast and easy to perform and reduce the chance for errors. Taking place of the traditional liquid-liquid and solid phase extractions, the QuEChERS process includes two simple steps. First, we use an organic solvent and salt solution to extract and partition the homogenized samples, and then, we extract and clean the supernatant by using a dispersive solid phase extraction (D-SPE) technique.

Standing for “Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe”, QuEChERS helps us improve the lab efficiency, not only in the case of labor reduction and consumable savings, but also in the field of high sample throughput, more space-saving and less waste generation.