Pesticide residues in apple samples on the market of Republic of Serbia 2004-2007

Abstract

Our study comprised the determination of the pesticide residue content in 108 samples of apples. The pesticide residues were determined by gas chromatography with NPD, ECD and GLC - MS. The samples were iested for the content of 75 pesticides with LOD of 0.001 to 0.005 mg/kg which were lower than MRLs according to the EU standards. The relative standard deviation was lower than 19% for all the tested compounds. In the apple samples taken during 2004, the percentage of the samples positive to the pesticide residue content was 51.85% and the most frequent contaminants were *} HCH and endosulfan. In the analyzed samples, taken during 2005, out of 70.91% samples in which the pesticide residues were detected, endosulfan was present in 41.03%, captan in 35.9%, chlorpyrifos in 20.51% and parathion in 17.95%. The content of the procymidone and lambda-cyhalothrin residues were over the EU MALs. During 2006 all apple samples were residue-free. Out of 13 samples analyzed in 2007, five contained the pesticide residues below the EU MRLs with the most frequently detected dithiocarbamate.