Monitoring of pesticide residues in market basket samples of vegetable from Lucknow City, India: QuEChERS method.

The study was conducted on 20 vegetables including leafy, root, modified stem, and fruity vegetables like bitter gourd, jack fruit, french-bean, onion, colocassia, pointed gourd, capsicum, spinach, potato, fenugreek seeds, carrot, radish, cucumber, beetroot, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, okra, and bottle gourd. Forty-eight pesticides including 13 organochlorines (OCs), 17 organophosphates (OPs), 10 synthetic pyrethriods (SPs), and eight herbicides (H) pesticides were analyzed. A total number of 60 samples, each in triplicates, were analyzed using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe method. The quantification was done by GC-ECD/NPD. The recovery varies from 70.22% to 96.32% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 15%. However the limit of detection ranged from 0.001-0.009 mg kg(-1)for OCs, SPs, OPs, and H, respectively. Twenty-three pesticides were detected from total 48 analyzed pesticides in the samples with the range of 0.005-12.35 mg kg(-1). The detected pesticides were: Σ-HCH, Dicofol, Σ-Endosulfan, Fenpropathrin, Permethrin-II, ß-cyfluthrin-II, Fenvalerate-I, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Diazinon, Malathion, Chlorofenvinfos, Anilophos, and Dimethachlor. In some vegetables like radish, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, and okra, the detected pesticides (Σ-HCH, Permethrin-II, Dichlorvos, and Chlorofenvinfos) were above maximum residues limit (MRL) (PFA 1954). However, in other vegetables the level of pesticide residues was either below detection limit or MRL.

Effect of imidacloprid on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in female rats to derive its No Observed Effect Level (NOEL).

Technical imidacloprid was evaluated for its effect on oxidative stress and Lipid peroxidation (LPO) in female rats for No Observed Effect Level (NOEL). Activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and level of Glutathione (GSH) and LPO were estimated in liver, kidney and brain of rats after oral administration of imidacloprid (5, 10, 20 mg/kg/day) for 90 days. Imidacloprid at 5 and 10 mg/kg/day has not produced changes in SOD, CAT, GPx and level of GSH and LPO in liver, brain and kidney. However 20 mg/kg/day has produced significant changes in SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH, LPO in liver; SOD, CAT and GPx in brain and LPO in kidney. Therefore, it is concluded that imidacloprid has not generated oxidative stress at 5 and 10mg/kg/day but induced changes at 20 mg/kg/day. Hence 10 mg/kg/day may be considered as NOEL through antioxidant enzymes and LPO in female rats.

Survey of pesticide residues in maize, cowpea and millet from northern Cameroon: part I.

In northern Cameroon, the misuse of pesticides for pest control is common among small-scale farmers. Therefore, monitoring of pesticide residues was carried out on stored maize, cowpea and millet from eight localities. The determination of residues of organochlorines (lindane, α-endosulfan and ß-endosulfan), organophosphorus compounds (malathion and pirimiphos-methyl), synthetic pyrethroids (permethrin) and carbamates (carbufuran) was performed using GC-ECD/NPD and GC-MS for confirmation. Organochlorine pesticides were detected more frequently and in higher concentrations, ranging from 0.02 ± 0.01 mg kg(-1) for ß-endosulfan in millet to 9.53 ± 4.00 mg kg(-1) lindane in maize, than organophosphorus compounds, with concentrations varying from 0.04 ± 0.03 mg kg(-1) for pirimiphos methyl to 0.23 ± 0.38 mg kg(-1) for malathion in maize. Permethrin was found only in maize at 0.39 ± 0.23 mg kg(-1). No carbofuran was found. More than 75% of samples contained pesticide residues above the maximum residue limit (MRL); showing a potential human dietary risk related to consumption of these grains.