Analysis of paraquat in cigarette samples

Introduction: The use of herbicides in different crops may leave residues, which can compromise the safety of the people who consume the derived products, as well of those environmentally and/or occupationally exposed. Paraquat is an herbicide of the bipyridyl class and it is used in diverse types of food culture besides the planting of tobacco. Objective: The objective of this work is to determine, by quantitative methods, the presence of Paraquat in tobacco samples in cigarettes from four high consumption brands. Method: A method was utilized to detect Paraquat waste by means of a colorimetric technique, since this active ingredient is reduced to a blue colored radical in the presence of 1% sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) in basic medium, which intensifies as much as the concentration of the product increases. The samples were subjected to spectrophotometer reading (600 nm) and compared with a standard. Results: The quantitative evaluation revealed residual levels of the herbicide in all samples analyzed. Conclusions: There is a potential for toxicity in the use of Paraquate in the population