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B7-OP: HEADSPACE GC-MS DETERMINATION OF DITHIOCARBAMATE RESIDUES
IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
M. Pucarević (1), S. Lazić (2), V. Bursić (2), D. Šunjka (2), B. Radović (3)
1Faculty for Environmental Governance and Corporate Rresponisbility EDUCONS University,
Sremska Kamenica, Vojvode Putnika bb, Serbia
2Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, Serbia
3 Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad, Maksima Gorkog 30, Novi Sad, Serbia
The dithiocarbamates (DTC) are the group of pesticides used to protect plants from fungal diseases. These compounds are one of the most commonly used pesticides in the world [1]. In the Republic of Serbia almost 300 active ingredients are registered including six dithiocarbamate fungicides (zineb, ziram, mancozeb, metiram, propineb and tiram). The dithiocarbamates present in food can be of health concern. Mancozeb is considered to be a carcinogenic agent. The dithiocarbamates have at least three modes of toxic action. These include: (a) the capacity to generate carbon disulfide (CS2), (b) biotransformation to ethylenethiourea (ETU), (c) the ability to chelate physiologically important ions (e.g., Copper) [2]. The paper presents the results of dithiocarbamate monitoring study conducted for 139 samples (banana, blueberry, broccoli, onion, pepper, grape, apple, strawberry, cauliflower, cucumber, pear, blackberry, cabbage, lemon, watermelon, raspberry, tomato and orange) from the market of Serbia. The detectable levels were found in 72.0 % of the samples, with the highest levels (up to 0.8 mg/kg) found in raspberry. No residues were found in blueberry. The headspace GC/MS multi-residue method, based on the analysis of carbon disulphide obtained after the treatment of analytes with hydrochloric acid in the presence of tin(II)chloride has been used. The averaged recovery from raspberries, spiked in the range of 0.05 - 1.25 mg/kg, is 91.35 %. The limits of detection (LOD = 3 x σ baseline noise) and quantification (LOQ = 10 x σ baseline noise) were approximately 0.010 and 0.029 mg/kg, respectively. The linearity obtained in the range of concentrations from 0.05 to 1.25 mg/kg without matrix is R2=0.992, and with matrix is R2=0.999. The matrices do not have interfering peaks in the time of CS2 elution.
References
- P.E. Caldas, J. Tressou, P.E. Boon, Food and chemical toxicology, 2006, 44, 1562.
- EPA, The Determination of Whether Dithiocarbamate Pesticides Share a Common Mechanism of Toxicity, Health Effects Division Office of Pesticide Programs U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington D.C. 20460 December 1, 2001.
