Determinação de resíduos de agrotóxicos em pimentões verdes convencionais e orgâncios comercializados em Fortaleza - CE

Abstract

Despite the great advantage that pesticides have in terms of combating pests, which consequently promotes increased productivity, these compounds cause several damages to the environment and human health. One of the ways in which humans can become contaminated with these types of substances is through food contamination. The bell pepper is a fruit, being also considered as a vegetable, originating in Latin America and widely consumed throughout Brazil. According to the 2017 report of the Food Residue Analysis Program (PARA), bell pepper was one of the vegetables with the highest number of irregularities, due to the intense use of pesticides that are not authorized for this type of crop and the detection of concentration of pesticide residues that are authorized for their cultivation, but are above the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) established for these compounds. This study aimed to determine pesticide residues in conventional and organic green bell peppers, using the QuEChERS citrate method, for the extraction of pesticides. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was the technique used to analyze the identification and quantification of the studied samples. In the method used, pesticide residues were detected in all samples of conventional peppers and in one sample of organic peppers. Chlorothalonil was identified and quantified in samples PC - 2, PC - 4 and PO - 1; difenoconazole was detected and quantified in the PC - 5 sample; and chlorpyrifos was detected and quantified in PC - 1 and PC - 3 samples. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of the QuEChERS citrate method and the GC-MS technique were satisfactory for the extraction, identification and quantification of pesticide residues.