Market basket monitoring of some organophosphorus pesticides on apple and strawberry in Izmir Province, Turkey

WOS: 000182422500004Organophosphorus (OP) insecticides are widely used in fruits and vegetables in Turkey. Levels of OP-insecticides residues were investigated on apple and strawberry samples, 32 for each, in Izmir to check for compliance with Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and to assess the pesticide exposure of the people in Izmir. This study was conducted at University of Ege, Agriculture Faculty, in collaboration with Drug Research Developing and Pharmacokinetics Research Center between 1999-2001. Residues of azinphos-methyl, chlorpyriphosethyl, diazinon, dichlorvos, malathion, methidathion and parathionmethyl were extracted from samples according to DFG (Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft) S19 multiresidue method. For the determination of OP-insecticides multiresidue analysis method with GC/NPD detector was used. The findings for apple demonstrated that OP-insecticides residues are generally below codex tolerances. Residues of OP-insecticides were detected in 13 out of 32 apple samples analysed in this study. In 1 sample malathion, in 2 samples azinphos-methyl and methidathion, and in 3 samples chlorpyrifos-ethyl were detected exceeding their respective tolerance levels. Residues of OP-insecticides were detected in 23 out of 32 strawberry samples. Diazinon and methidathion residues were detected only in 1 sample each, but the values exceeded the tolerance limit. In 5 samples parathion and in 3 samples chlorpyrifos-ethyl were detected over their tolerance levels. Out of 32 samples, 21 were found to contain residues of dichlorvos and 15 of them exceeded the MRL. Importantly, some contaminated samples were found to contain dichlorvos residues 10-77 times higher than the MRL