DETECTION OF FUNGICIDE RESIDUES IN SOME FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BY CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHODS

Abstract

The use of pesticides is a common practice in modern agriculture. To increase and to ensure the security in people nutrition, two comparative chromatographic methods (GC-MS and HPLC-DAD) for fungicide residues detection and monitoring in some fruits and vegetables were tested. Some vegetables, eggplants, cucumbers, red potatoes, white potatoes, red peppers and fruits, plums, apples, lemons, grapes, clementines, were analyzed for fungicide residues quantification. The presence of Tebuconazole, Boscalid, Iprodione and Imazalil was followed and quantified in the tested samples. These analyses are important for environment and end-consumers protection. Generaly, both techniques are very sensitive and selective for the analysis of pesticides at low concentrations. GC-MS presents better linearity characteristics for Tebuconazole and Imazalil, but HPLC-DAD was the most rapid method. The tested products do not contain large fungicides quantities.