Comparison of different cleanup procedures for oil crops based on the development of a trace analytical method for the determination of pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole

Removal of epoxiconazole and pyraclostrobin from highly contaminated effluent (grams per liter level): Comparison between ozone and solar still decontamination using real field conditions

Brazilian environmental legislation obliges the aeroagriculture operators to treat the effluents generated after aircraft washing. This effluent commonly contains high levels of pesticides (g L^-1) with potential to produce point source pollution. In the present study, we evaluated the efficiency of two systems on the removal of the fungicides epoxiconazole and pyraclostrobin from these effluents. The first system is based on ozonation and is currently suggested by regulatory authority. The second system is based on a pyramid-shaped solar still. The pesticides removal was monitored using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to determine the mass quantity of both molecules throughout the treatment. After treatment with ozone treatment, the total mass of epoxiconazole decreased by 73% and pyraclostrobin decreased by 90.8%. The solar distillation system removed epoxiconazole and pyraclostrobin by >99.995 and 99.99%, respectively. The both systems proved to be efficient in the treatment of effluent containing residues of the fungicide Opera®, a formulation containing epoxiconazole and pyraclostrobin. The solar distillation system showed a higher degree of removal and presents the advantage of operating without energy sources, reagents or consumables.

Effects of Planting and Processing Modes on the Degradation of Dithianon and Pyraclostrobin in Chinese Yam (Dioscorea spp.)

The yam (Dioscorea spp.) is widely cultivated in China. The degradation of dithianon and pyraclostrobin in yams with different planting and processing treatments was investigated in this article. An analytical method for two pesticides in yam and yam plant was developed, and recoveries were between 77% and 93%, with relative standard deviations from 0.8% to 7.4%, respectively. On the basis of this method, half-lives for plants grown on stakes versus plants grown without stakes were compared. The results indicated that the half-life for pesticide residues for plants grown on stakes versus plants grown without stakes differed as 6.7 versus 3.1 days for dithianon and 5.4 versus 5.2 days for pyraclostrobin. Dithianon was significantly influenced by planting mode because of its low stability under sunlight. The processing factors of various processing treatments (hot air-drying, vacuum freeze-drying, microwave vacuum-drying, infrared-drying, steaming, and boiling) were all <1, indicating that those processes can reduce residues of two pesticides at different levels. Significant amounts of residues were removed during the boiling treatment, whereas the others showed less effect.

Stereoselective analysis of novel chiral fungicide pyrisoxazole in cucumber, tomato and soil under different application methods with supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Various new chiral pesticides have been registered and used in crop yields. However, few studies have focused on the environmental behavior of such new registered chiral compounds on the stereoisomer level. In this study, an effective and sensitive chiral analytical method was first developed to detect pyrisoxazole stereoisomers and then further applied to investigate the stereoselective dissipation in vegetables and soil using supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Optimal separation condition was achieved with IA column using CO2/MeOH (75:25) as mobile phase at 2.0 mL/min in 5 min, 35 °C and 2400 psi. The average recoveries in all of the matrices at four spiking levels ranged from 84.0% to 105.6%. Significant stereoselective dissipation was observed in cucumber and tomato under both application modes. (-) Pyrisoxazole A and (-) pyrisoxazole B were preferentially degraded in cucumber under foliar spraying mode. In contrast, (+) pyrisoxazole A and (-) pyrisoxazole B were preferentially degraded in cucumber under soil irrigation mode. (-) Pyrisoxazole A and (-) pyrisoxazole B were degraded faster than their antipodes in tomato under both application modes. However, no significant stereoselectivity was observed in soil. The results of this study could help facilitate more accurate risk assessments of pyrisoxazole.