Steven J. Lehotay
Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center
Papers
5
Total Citations
159
H-Index
4
About
Steven J. Lehotay is a leading analytical chemist whose research focuses on food safety, contaminant analysis, and the development of high-throughput multi-residue methods for detecting pesticides, veterinary drugs, and environmental contaminants in complex food matrices. His most influential contributions center on advancing the QuEChERSER mega-method — an innovative, streamlined analytical framework integrating ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) with low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC-MS/MS) to simultaneously identify hundreds of chemical residues in a single analytical run. Lehotay's landmark two-part "Mega-Method" series (2020), which has collectively garnered over 118 citations, demonstrated unprecedented throughput by validating the simultaneous detection of more than 330 target compounds — including 227 pesticides, 106 veterinary drugs, and 16 PCBs — in challenging food matrices such as beef and catfish, meeting stringent EU and U.S. regulatory standards. His subsequent validation of these methods in tilapia further expanded their applicability across diverse food systems. His ongoing work on automated solid-phase extraction cleanup reflects a commitment to reducing analytical burden while maintaining rigorous accuracy. Lehotay's research has meaningfully shaped modern food safety monitoring practices worldwide.
Research Focus
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