Application of the QuEChERS method for the determination of organochlorine pesticide residues in Brazilian fruit pulps by GC-ECD

The Distribution of Selected Toxic Elements in Sauced Chicken during Their Feeding, Processing, and Storage Stages

Sauced chicken is popular food worldwide. However, the elemental pollution of poultry industrialization has led to an increasing health risk concern. In this study, four typical toxic elements, including chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), were selected and detected in whole industry chains of sauced chicken preparation by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The detection method was optimized and verified with an average recovery of 93.96% to 107.0%. Cr has the highest proportion among the elements during the three stages, while the content of Cd was the least. In the feeding stages, elements were at the highest level in the starter broiler, and the grower broiler was considered to have a good metabolic capacity of them. In addition, the elements were mainly distributed in the chicken kidney, gizzard, liver, leg, wing, and lung. In the processing stage, the elements continued to accumulate from the scalding to the sterilization process. The elements were mainly distributed in the chicken wing, leg, head, and breast. In the storage stage, the elements almost kept constant in the polyamide and polyethylene packaging, while it showed irregular small-range fluctuations in the other two packages. This study provides beneficial references for the toxic element risk management in the whole industry chain.

Multiclass Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables from Brazil: A Systematic Review of Sample Preparation Until Post-Harvest

Brazil annually produces around 43 million tons of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, large amounts of pesticides are needed to grow these foods. The use of unauthorized or indiscriminate pesticides can lead to the adherence of residues of these compounds to the product in a concentration above the maximum residue limit (MRL). Pesticide residues (PRs) monitoring is a continuous challenge due to several factors influencing the detection of these compounds in the food matrix. Currently, several adaptations to conventional techniques have been developed to minimize these problems. This systematic review presents the main information obtained from 52 research articles, taken from five databases, on changes and advances in Brazil in sample preparation methods for determining PRs in fruits and vegetables in the last nine years. We cover the preexisting ones and some others that might be suitable alternatives approaches. In addition, we present a brief discussion on the monitoring of PRs in different Brazilian regions, and we found that residues belonging to the organophosphate and pyrethroid classes were detected more frequently. Approximately 67% of the residues detected are of irregular use in 28 types of fruits and vegetables commonly consumed and exported by Brazil.

Monitoring of pesticide residues from fish feed, fish and vegetables in Bangladesh by GC-MS using the QuEChERS method

The use of pesticides in agricultural sectors is rising due to the growing demand for food in the world, but the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities has become a major health concern for consumers and is associated with problems of food safety. Thus, the present study determined pesticide residues (17 organochlorine, 5 pyrethroid and 3 organophosphate) in 77 fish feed, 112 fish and 135 vegetables samples (total of 324) from the different locations in Bangladesh, using quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The 77 fish feed samples analyzed with this method appeared to be free of pyrethroid pesticide residues. Organochlorine pesticide residues aldrin (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and pyrethroid pesticide residues permethrin (0.08 ± 0.01 mg/kg) were detected in fish samples of catla (Catla catla) from Rajshahi Durgapur and bata (Labeo bata) from Satkhira Kaligonj, respectively. Among 135 vegetable samples (country bean, green chili, tomato, eggplants and red amaranth), 27.4% were found positive for organophosphate pesticide residues of which 89.2% exceeded maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The study revealed that few fish (catla and bata) but the majority of vegetable samples tested positive for pesticide residues exceeding MRLs. Finally, the study suggests that an effective management strategy is needed for strict regulation and regular monitoring of pesticides in fish feed, fish and vegetables to make aware the farmers and consumers about the harmful effect of pesticides on human health.

Method validation for the analysis of pesticide residue in aqueous environment

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to severe pollution into water resources which limits to reach safe drinking and irrigation water globally. One of the most important pollutants of environment that brought along with industrialization and technology are pesticides. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the pesticide residues in Dim Stream, due to intense touristic and agricultural activities in the region. Thus, four locations alongside the river were selected for sampling to evaluate the pesticide residue in the stream. The water samples were collected representing the rainy and dry seasons and extracted according to the Quechers method which is validated in terms of accuracy, specificity, limit of detection (LOD), and quantification (LOQ). Pesticide residues were analyzed by injecting LC-MSMS and GC-MS. The most recurrent pesticides were cypermethrin, endosulfan, deltamethrin, dicofol, metribuzin, parathion-methyl, permethrin, malathion, and tetradifon in the samples. Some of the levels of pesticides detected in water were significantly high compared with guideline values set by the Surface Water Quality Regulation of Turkey, EU, and World Health Organization, and this may be hazardous to aquatic life and human health. The obtained 18 recoveries of pesticides in the samples varied between 70 and 120%. LOD was ranged 19 from 0.23 to 9.67 μg/L. LOQ of 11 of the pesticides were higher than 1 μg/L.

Determination of some pesticide residues in conventional-grown and IPM-grown tomato by using QuEChERS method

The present study was conducted to determine pesticide (emamectin-benzoate, penconazole and imidacloprid) residues over tomatoes by using QuEChERS method. The method was validated by spiking tomato matrix at 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 MRL levels of the pesticides. Tomatoes were harvested from two conventional and two Integrated Pest Management-grown fields. Laboratory samples were taken from the bulk samples. Analyses of spiked and real-field tomatoes were performed with QuEChERS procedure. Experimental samples were subjected to LC-MS/MS analysis. As indicated in "CAC/GL 40-1993," representative sample matrix (apple) calibration was used for quantification. The overall recovery was 107.12% with a relative standard deviation of 17.96% (n = 162). Present values were within the specified recovery ranges (60-140%) and repeatability value of (RSD ≤20%) of SANCO. Analysis of field experiment samples showed that both conventional tomato plots had trace levels (less than MRL) of emamectin-benzoate and imidacloprid, whereas there were not any pesticide residues in both IPM tomato plots.

Development of an economic ultrafast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for trace analysis of multiclass mycotoxins in Polygonum multiflorum

Rapid, economic, and highly effective determination of multiple mycotoxins in complex matrices has given huge challenges for the analytical method. In this study, an economic analytical strategy based on sensitive and rapid ultrafast liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry technique was developed for the determination of seven mycotoxins of different chemical classes (aflatoxin B₁ , B₂ , G₁ , and G₂ , ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, and HT-2 toxin) in Polygonum multiflorum. Target mycotoxins were completely extracted using a modified quick, easy, cheap effective, rugged, and safe method without additional clean-up steps. The types of extraction solvents and adsorbents for the extraction procedure were optimized to achieve high recoveries and reduce coextractives in the final extracts. Due to significant matrix effects for all analytes (≤68.9% and ≥110.0%), matrix-matched calibration curves were introduced for reliable quantification, exploring excellent linearity for the seven mycotoxins with coefficients of determination >0.9992. The method allowed high sensitivity with limit of detection in the range of 0.031-2.5 μg/kg and limit of quantitation in the range of 0.078-6.25 μg/kg, as well as satisfactory precision with relative standard deviations lower than 8%. Recovery rates were between 74.3 and 119.8% with relative standard deviations below 7.43%. The proposed method was successfully applied for 24 batches of P. multiflorum samples, and six samples were found to be positive with aflatoxin B₁ , B₂ , G₁ , or ochratoxin A. The method with significant advantages, including minimum analytical time, low time and solvent consumption, and high sensitivity, would be a preferred candidate for economic analysis of multiclass mycotoxins in complex matrices.