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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Exposure assessment of fruits contaminated with pesticide residues from Valencia, 2001– 03

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A total of 634 samples of oranges, tangerines, peaches, nectarines, khakis and watermelons were collected from an Agricultural Valencia Community Cooperative during the May 2001 to April 2003 campaigns and they were analysed for 15 pesticides among those recommended for pest treatment. A conventional multiresidue analytical procedure based on ethyl acetate extraction was used followed by gas chromatography coupled to a nitrogen phosphorus detector for routine analysis; and mass spectrometry was performed for confirmation. Recovery studies with spiked samples at 0.5 mg kg-1 for each pesticide ranged from 52% for acephate to 87% for fenthion with a standard deviation20%. Limits of quantification ranged from 0.1 to 100 microg kg-1. A total of 43% of samples contained pesticide residues; and 5% exceeded the maximum residue levels (MRLs). Nine of the pesticides studied were found. Malathion, which was the most frequently detected, was found in 121 samples (19%) at 0.002-4.25 mg kg-1; followed by fenthion in 104 samples (16%) at 0.005-2.3 mg kg-1; and methidation in 68 samples (10%) at 0.008-1.3 mg kg-1. Khaki showed the highest contamination rates with 60% of contaminated samples that exceeded more often the MRLs; and fenthion was the pesticide more frequently detected in all the commodities studied at levels above the European MRLs. The estimated daily intakes of each pesticide calculated from the results obtained were much lower than the acceptable daily intakes.