Researchers Determine 23 Pesticides in Leafy Vegetables Using a GC-MS Method

Researchers from the Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, and Faculty of Food Science and Technology at the University of Vigo (Ourense, Spain) have developed a GC-MS method for determining residues of 12 insecticides (acrinathrin, bifenthrin, carbofuran, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, chlorfenvinphos, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, fenamiphos, methiocarb and fluvalinate) and 11 fungicides (cyprodinil, fludioxonil, iprodione, metalaxyl, penconazole, pyrimethanil, procymidone tebuconazole, triadimefon, triadimenol and vinclozolin) in leafy vegetables. The method was applied to determine pesticide residues in commercial leafy vegetables (lettuce, Swiss chard, and spinach) purchased from markets in Orense, Spain. Pesticide residues were detected in 84% of the total samples (63 from 75 samples) and pesticide concentrations were higher than MRL in 18 samples.